A Tunisian court has sentenced former President Moncef Marzouki in absentia to four years in prison for “assaulting” the security of the state, according to state media.

The 76-year-old, who currently lives in France, had previously criticized President Kais Saied and called for protests.

Local media on Wednesday said he was found guilty of “undermining the security of the state from abroad” and of having caused “diplomatic harm”.

In a statement to Al Jazeera, Marzouki rejected the ruling as illegal, saying it was “issued by an illegitimate president who overturned the constitution”.

He said the accusations against him are a “reversal of the facts” and instead apply to Saied, who in July seized sweeping executive powers.

Marzouki also said it was his “destiny to fight against a dictatorship” in his country until the end of his life, but indicated that he would not ask any lawyer to appeal the ruling.

Meanwhile, his lawyer, Lamia Khemiri, told AFP news agency that Marzouki had not received any summons to court and she also did not know why he was convicted.

Source: Al-Jazeera