Summary
A Tunisian lawmaker, Ahmed Saidani, received an eight-month prison sentence for mocking President Kais Saied in social media posts. Saidani was charged with insulting others via communication networks under a telecommunications law. His arrest follows criticism of President Saied's measures to control dissent after he began ruling by decree in 2021.
Key Facts
- Ahmed Saidani, a member of the Tunisian parliament, was sentenced to eight months in prison for mocking President Kais Saied online.
- Saidani was arrested earlier this month and charged with insulting others through communication networks.
- The charge was based on a telecommunications law that punishes harming others via social media, with penalties of up to two years in prison.
- President Kais Saied has faced criticism for limiting political freedoms since suspending Tunisia's parliament in 2021.
- Saidani, initially a supporter of Saied, has become a vocal critic, accusing him of centralizing power and sidestepping accountability.
- Recent floods in Tunisia led to Saidani's social media posts mocking the president's response to the disaster.
- Human rights groups have described these events as part of a wider crackdown on dissent in Tunisia.
- President Saied denies accusations of authoritarian practices, claiming his actions uphold the law.
