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A Tunisian court has sentenced lawyer Sania Dahmani to one year in prison for her comments on public affairs published on social media.
This verdict, issued under Decree 54, highlights the ongoing use of the judiciary to intimidate and suppress independent journalism in Tunisia.
Sania Dahmani's sentence, handed down on July 5, 2024, comes in response to charges of promoting and publishing false news and rumors, stemming from her criticism of the government’s handling of irregular migration and overall performance. Dahmani has been detained since May 13, awaiting trial, joining five other journalists already imprisoned on similar charges related to their journalistic activities. Over 40 journalists have been referred to the courts under the same pretext.
The Women Journalists Without Chains Organization (WJWC) has joined the Journalists Syndicate in condemning the ruling against Dahmani, viewing it as a continuation of the troubling trend of judicial overreach affecting press freedom for more than a year. WJWC stated that the Tunisian authorities' persistent imprisonment of journalists reveals an increasingly repressive regime, shattering hopes of Tunisia serving as a model for free states in the region.
Tawakkol Karman, head of WJWC and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, expressed disappointment, saying that she had hoped for a safe climate for freedom of opinion and expression following the presidential election. However, she stated that the Tunisian regime continues to shock with its repression and intimidation of journalists and dissenters, aiming to maintain a single voice in control of the public space.
Karman declared full solidarity with the detained journalists and the dozens more being pursued by the judiciary in Tunisia. She emphasized that freedom of the press is a crucial measure distinguishing democratic from non-democratic countries. Karman urged President Kais Saied to affirm Tunisia’s commitment to democracy by abolishing laws that infringe on freedom ahead of the presidential elections and halting the ongoing crackdown, which only serves to justify the country’s slide into dictatorship.
Since the enactment of Decree No. 54 on September 13, 2022, numerous journalistic and human rights organizations, including the National Syndicate of Journalists and the General Media University, have called for its repeal. The decree criminalizes journalistic work and restricts freedom of opinion and expression, with potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
Other journalists currently imprisoned under Decree 54 include Shatha Al-Hajj Mubarak, detained since July 2023 in connection with the "Instalingo" case, where journalists and bloggers were accused of working for a company producing digital content to incite public unrest, compromise state security, and insult the head of state. Journalist Mohamed Boughlab, initially sentenced to six months in prison on April 17, had his sentence increased to eight months on June 29 by an appeals court, following his arrest for expressing his opinions in the media.
Journalists Murad Al-Zaghidi and Borhan Bsaiss were also sentenced to one year in prison in May. Additionally, Ghassan Bin Khalifa, editor-in-chief of the Inhiyaz website, is facing charges related to a blog post deemed a terrorist crime, despite denying any connection to the page. He was sentenced to six months in prison last March.
Women Journalists Without Chains demands the following actions from Tunisian authorities:
- Immediate and unconditional release of all journalists detained in prisons, and restoration of their dignity, their families, and the media.
- Cessation of all trials against journalists and an end to their persecution.
- Ensuring the protection of journalists while performing their duties and covering elections, and stopping the use of intimidation to suppress freedom of opinion and expression.
- Reintroduction of Law No. 115 of 2011, which protects journalists from imprisonment for their publications.
- Repeal of laws that undermine journalistic freedom and freedom of opinion, including Decree 54 and broad provisions in other laws, such as the Anti-Terrorism Law.
