Thousands protested in cities across Tunisia after Brahmi's assassination. Photo: Reuters

A Tunisian court sentenced eight defendants to death on Tuesday over the 2013 assassination of leftist opposition figure Mohamed Brahmi, according to local reports.

Brahmi was assassinated outside his home on July 25, 2013.

“The Fifth Criminal Chamber specialising in terrorism cases at the Court of First Instance in Tunis has sentenced eight defendants to death & a ninth defendant on the run to five years' imprisonment, in the case of the assassination of martyr Mohamed Brahmi,” Tunisia News Agency TAP posted on X.

Charges included "attempting to change the state's nature" and "inciting armed conflict", among others, as three defendants received additional death sentences for "deliberate participation in premeditated murder," local media added.

Attack on opposition

Brahmi was a member of the Movement of the People Party, which is part of the same coalition that Chokri Belaid, another opposition politician killed in February of the same year, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Brahmi was taken to hospital immediately after the assault, but was later pronounced dead, Tunisian Interior Ministry said in a statement at the time.

Brahmi had eleven bullets in his body when he was hospitalised, the statement said.

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TRT Afrika and agencies