Khaberni - The president of the Human Rights League and a lawyer told Reuters on Friday that a Tunisian judge issued a death sentence against a man convicted of insulting the president and assaulting state security due to Facebook posts, in a verdict that has sparked widespread criticism.
This ruling represents an unprecedented and severe penalty in the area of internet freedom of expression in Tunisia, where authorities have been accused by human rights organizations of seeking to suppress freedom of expression since President Kais Saied tightened his grip on most powers in 2021.
Osama Bouthelege, the lawyer representing Saber Shouchan (56 years old), said, "A judge in Nabeul court sentenced Saber to death over Facebook posts critical of the president... It's a shocking and unprecedented verdict," mentioning that he has filed an appeal against the verdict.
He indicated that the man is not a politician, but a regular person with limited education who writes and merely reposts posts that criticize the president.
Although courts in Tunisia occasionally issue death sentences, the actual penalty has not been carried out for more than three decades.
Bassam Tarifi, the president of the Human Rights League said that the judge was transferred to another place after the verdict was issued, in a sign that the verdict might be reviewed.
Jamal Shouchan, the brother of Saber who has been imprisoned since last year, said, "We cannot believe the verdict. We are a family suffering from extreme poverty, and now added to poverty.. is injustice and oppression."
Immediately, the verdict sparked a broad wave of criticism and mockery on social media among activists.
Some described the verdict as a deliberate attempt to spread fear among the president's critics, warning that such harsh measures suppress freedom of expression further and deepen the political tension in the country.
Since Saied dissolved the elected parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decrees, authorities in Tunisia have faced increasing criticism from human rights organizations about what they describe as erosion of judicial independence and a significant regression in press and freedom of expression.
Saied continuously denies restricting freedoms, stating that freedoms are guaranteed by law and that he will not be a dictator, while most opposition leaders are imprisoned on various charges, described by the president as "traitors".
Source: Reuters
