TUNIS, Tunisia: Sonia Dahmani, a prominent Tunisian lawyer and vocal critic of President Kais Saied, has been sentenced to one year in prison. This court ruling has heightened concerns about the targeting of critical voices ahead of the presidential election on October 6. Dahmani’s lawyer, Sami Ben Ghazi, condemned the sentence as unjust and an attack on free speech.
Dahmani was arrested in May following her appearance on a television program where she criticized the living conditions in Tunisia. Opposition parties claim that Saied’s government is pressuring the judiciary to target election rivals, undermining the possibility of fair elections.
Several opposition leaders, including Lotfi Mraihi, Abir Moussi, and Rached Ghannouchi, have been imprisoned or face legal charges, ranging from money laundering to incitement against the state. Critics argue that these actions are part of a broader effort to suppress dissent and manipulate the electoral process.
President Saied, who dissolved parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree, has defended his actions as necessary to combat corruption. Although he has not officially announced his candidacy for a second term, his government continues to face accusations of stifling democratic processes and free speech in Tunisia.
