Tunisia: Appeals Court reduces sentence of former football federation chief on corruption convictions

The Criminal Division of the Tunis Court of Appeal has affirmed the convictions of Wadii Jari, former president of the Tunisian Football Federation, while moderating his prison sentence to three years instead of the original four.

The lower Criminal Division of the Tunis Court of First Instance had imposed a four-year jail term on Jari, and a six-year sentence on his technical manager, who remains free pending appeal proceedings.

Both defendants were found guilty of exploiting public office for personal and third-party gain, infringing administrative regulations, abusing operational frameworks to obtain improper advantages, and complicity in these illicit actions. The convictions underscore serious breaches of public trust within Tunisia’s football governance structures.

This legal outcome illustrates the Tunisian judiciary’s resolve to address corruption among high-ranking sports officials. Lifting part of Jari’s sentence highlights the appellate court’s evaluation of mitigating circumstances, though it maintains a firm stance by upholding the core convictions and legal breaches.