Tunisian Man Sentenced to Death Over Facebook Posts Criticising President Saied
Tunisian Man Sentenced to Death Over Facebook Posts Criticising President Saied
A Tunisian court has sentenced a man to death for allegedly publishing Facebook posts deemed insulting to President Kais Saied, in a ruling that has sparked outrage among human rights advocates and free speech groups.
According to local media reports, the man, identified as Mohamed Amine, was convicted under Tunisia’s anti-terrorism and cybercrime laws for a series of online posts criticising President Saied’s leadership and accusing his administration of authoritarianism. The court ruled that his statements amounted to “incitement against the state” and “undermining national security.”
The death sentence a rare penalty for online expression was delivered on Friday by a criminal court in Tunis, despite growing international concern over the shrinking space for dissent since Saied’s power grab in 2021.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have condemned the verdict, describing it as “a chilling attack on freedom of expression.” They urged Tunisian authorities to overturn the judgment and immediately end the use of repressive laws against critics.
“This ruling marks an alarming escalation in Tunisia’s crackdown on online dissent. No one should face the death penalty, let alone for expressing political opinions,” Amnesty said in a statement on Saturday.
Since President Saied suspended parliament and assumed sweeping powers four years ago, dozens of journalists, activists, and opposition figures have been detained or prosecuted on charges ranging from “spreading false information” to “conspiring against the state.”
Tunisia, once hailed as the Arab Spring’s democratic success story, has increasingly faced accusations of authoritarian drift. The latest sentence underscores what observers say is a worsening climate of repression under Saied’s rule.
