Tunisian court jails prominent critic of president

7/7/2024 12:56

        Sonia Dahmani, a prominent Tunisian lawyer known for her criticism of President Kais Saied, has been sentenced to one year in prison, her legal representative said on Saturday.
        
        The court ruling reinforces opposition concerns that critical voices will continue to be targeted ahead of a presidential election on Oct. 6
        
        Dahmani's lawyer Sami Ben Ghazi said, "The one-year prison sentence is unjust and confirms the targeting of free speech."
        
        Dahmani was arrested in May after appearing on a television program in which she said Tunisia is a country where life is not pleasant.
        
        Opposition parties, many of whose leaders are in prison, have accused Saied's government of exerting pressure on the judiciary to target his election rivals.
        They say fair and credible elections cannot be held unless imprisoned politicians are released and the media is allowed to operate without pressure from the government.