Sonia Dahmani, a notable Tunisian lawyer and critic of President Kais Saied, has been sentenced to one year in prison, according to her legal representative on Saturday. This court ruling amplifies concerns that dissenting voices will be targeted ahead of the presidential election on October 6.
“The one-year prison sentence is unjust and confirms the targeting of free speech,” Dahmani’s lawyer, Sami Ben Ghazi, told Reuters. Dahmani was arrested in May after criticizing Tunisia on a TV program, calling it a country where life is unpleasant.
Opposition parties, with many leaders already imprisoned, accuse Saied’s government of pressuring the judiciary to target his election rivals. They argue that fair elections cannot occur unless jailed politicians are released and the media operates freely without government interference.
Lotfi Mraihi, leader of the opposition Republican Union Party and a presidential hopeful, was arrested on Wednesday for alleged money laundering. Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party and another prominent candidate, has been imprisoned since October 2023 on public security charges.
Several potential candidates, including Safi Saeed, Mondher Znaidi, Nizar Chaari, and Abd Ellatif Mekki, face prosecution for alleged crimes like fraud and money laundering. Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahda opposition party and a critic of Saied, was jailed last year for incitement against police and plotting against state security.
