Tunisian court hands presidential critic Sonia Dahmani new jail term
Summary
Tunisian lawyer and columnist Sonia Dahmani was sentenced to two years in jail for criticizing prison conditions in a 2023 radio interview. She faces several other legal cases under a law that punishes "false information," seen by human rights groups as a way to silence critics of President Kais Saied.Key Facts
- Sonia Dahmani, a Tunisian lawyer and columnist, received a two-year jail sentence from the Tunis Court of First Instance.
- The sentence came after a complaint about her criticism of prison conditions during a 2023 radio interview.
- Dahmani is currently facing five legal cases, all related to statements she made in the media.
- These cases are based on Decree 54, a law from 2022 that criminalizes spreading false information and is criticized as a tool to suppress dissent.
- She was previously sentenced to 18 months for comments about migrants and another 18 months for criticizing racial segregation in public services.
- Dahmani was arrested in May 2024 by masked police at the Bar Association headquarters and was released on parole in November after 18 months in detention.
- Since President Kais Saied’s 2021 coup, there has been a rise in actions against journalists, lawyers, and activists using laws like Decree 54 or anti-terrorism charges.
- Human rights groups have expressed concern over the growing repression and a hostile atmosphere toward sub-Saharan migrants following government statements.
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