The correctional chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance in Tunisia sentenced a member of parliament to eight months in prison on Thursday for criticizing President Kais Saied on social media over the handling of recent floods in the country, local media reported.
MP Ahmed Saidani was detained in early February for referring to the president as the “Supreme Commander of Sanitation and Rainwater Drainage” after visiting areas affected by torrential rains, according to the reports.
The MP, a member of the “Sovereign National Line” parliamentary bloc, also stated in the post that he would “not be surprised” if Kais Saied “sometimes forgets he is president, given how much time he spends thinking among pipes and lanterns.”
His lawyer, Houssem Eddine Ben Attia, indicated in early February that he was being prosecuted under Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code, which provides for one to two years in prison for “anyone who intentionally harms others or disturbs their peace through public networks.”
As a reminder, Ahmed Saidani backed President Saied’s power grab in the summer of 2021 and approved the conviction and detention of leading opposition figures.
Several Tunisian and international NGOs have denounced a regression of rights and freedoms in the country since July 2021, when Mr. Saied dismissed his prime minister and suspended parliament before electing one with significantly limited powers.
Since the adoption of the new constitution in 2022, which considerably strengthened the president’s prerogatives and restricted the powers of parliament, Tunisian and international human rights groups have denounced these as a regression of civil liberties.
They point in particular to the increasing use of criminal texts and communications laws to punish
opinions expressed online.
AK/ac/Sf/fss/as/APA