A Tunisian court on Monday sentenced prominent lawyer Sonia Dhamani to two years in prison, according to her legal team.
Dhamani, known for her outspoken criticism of President Kais Saied, was convicted over comments denouncing the state’s treatment of sub-Saharan African migrants.
Her defence team withdrew from the hearing after the judge denied their request to postpone the session, citing double jeopardy concerns.
They argued that Dhamani was facing trial for the same offence a second time, in violation of legal safeguards.
The ruling sparked alarm among rights advocates, who view it as part of a wider crackdown on dissent in Tunisia.
Once hailed as a rare Arab democracy, Tunisia has faced growing authoritarian drift since Saied seized sweeping powers in 2021.
Dhamani’s supporters say her conviction signals the shrinking space for free expression and legal opposition under Saied’s rule.
No immediate response came from government officials regarding the ruling or the allegations raised by her lawyers.
The sentence has drawn attention to Tunisia’s increasingly fraught political climate, where critics now face mounting legal pressures.
As the courtroom doors close behind Dhamani, concerns grow that justice, too, may be slipping out of reach.
