Tunisian courts have sentenced five people to prison terms ranging from one to 15 years for their roles in the May 2023 attack on the Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, which left five people dead, a lawyer said on Monday. According to defense lawyer Nizar Ayed, the attacker’s fiancée was sentenced to eight years in prison for complicity in homicide. A university student received three years, while the assailant’s sister was given a one-year sentence. Two other defendants were sentenced to seven and 15 years respectively, with the longest term handed to a suspect who fled and was tried in absentia.
The attack took place on May 9, 2023, when a National Guard officer opened fire at the port of Djerba, killing three fellow officers. He then drove to the synagogue, where he shot dead two Jewish worshippers Aviel Haddad and his French cousin Benjamin Haddad. Several security officers were wounded in the attack, two of whom later died. Prosecutors said the assailant was later killed by security forces. Ayed told the court the gunman acted alone, describing him as a “lone wolf” rather than part of an organized network. Defence lawyers for the convicted defendants have announced plans to appeal. The attack shocked Tunisia and its small Jewish community, which has steadily declined over decades. Once numbering more than 100,000, Tunisia’s Jewish population is now estimated at about 1,500 people, most of whom live on the island of Djerba.
