In Tunis, Tunisia — The Tunis Court of First Instance has imposed an additional two-year prison term on lawyer and human rights activist Sonia Dahmani for her critical comments regarding prison conditions. Dahmani, a vocal critic of President Kais Saied’s administration, is the latest figure to face legal repercussions for her public statements.
The sentence follows a 2023 radio interview in which Dahmani expressed her concerns about the living conditions within Tunisian prisons.
The General Administration of Prisons lodged a complaint against her, which led to the court’s decision. This conviction is part of a series of legal actions against Dahmani, who has previously been sentenced for her sarcastic remarks on television and criticism of public amenities. Decree 54, a law passed by the Saied government, has been used to target political dissent and independent journalism.
Dahmani’s cases are based on media statements made under this decree, which has been criticized by human rights groups for its potential to suppress freedom of expression. Her lawyer, Sami Ben Ghazi, suggested that the conviction is an attempt to intimidate and suppress dissent.
Meanwhile, government officials argue that the legal proceedings are justified measures to enforce the law and maintain national stability. Tunisia, once celebrated for its democratic transition following the Arab Spring, has witnessed a rise in authoritarian tendencies under Saied’s rule. Since assuming office in 2019, Saied has been accused of consolidating power, dissolving parliament, restructuring the judiciary, and rolling back democratic freedoms.
Human rights groups and international observers have expressed concerns about the decline in democratic freedoms in Tunisia. Reporters Without Borders has described the cases against journalists as “legal persecution “and called for their release, emphasizing the importance of judicial independence and human rights.
The sentences handed down to Dahmani and other journalists, such as Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi, have raised alarm among activists and journalists about the state of freedom of expression in the country. Dahmani’s case has drawn significant attention to the political climate in Tunisia, where the future of freedom of expression remains uncertain.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: aljazeera
Source: Heba Habib and AFP
