Tunisian Court Increases Jail Term for Presidential Critic Sonia Dahmani

Tunisian Lawyer Sentenced to Two Years in Jail for Criticizing Prison Conditions

A Tunis court has handed down a two-year prison sentence to Sonia Dahmani, a prominent lawyer and columnist, following her criticism of prison conditions. The verdict was delivered on Friday after a hearing, according to Sami Ben Ghazi, Dahmani’s lawyer.

Dahmani is facing prosecution in five separate cases linked to media statements, all based on Decree 54, a law passed by President Kais Saied in 2022 that has been criticized by human rights groups. The law has been used to prosecute individuals for making what are deemed “false information” statements.

This latest conviction follows previous sentences handed down to Dahmani. In May 2024, she was sentenced to 18 months for a sarcastic remark on television, and in April, an appeal court increased her sentence by another 18 months for criticizing cemeteries and buses reserved for Black people.

Dahmani was arrested at the headquarters of the Bar Association in May 2024, where masked police officers made what her colleagues described as “a brutal and illegal operation.” She was released on conditional parole last November after more than 18 months in detention.

Human rights organizations have raised concerns over a sharp increase in repression since Saied seized power in July 2021. Lawyers, journalists, and activists have been targeted under Decree 54 or on anti-terrorism charges. The crackdown has coincided with a hostile climate towards sub-Saharan migrants, following Saied’s remarks accusing them of seeking to alter Tunisia’s demographic makeup.

Dahmani’s lawyer has announced that he will lodge an appeal against the latest conviction.

Source: Al Jazeera