Tunisia: Man sentenced to prison for insulting President on Facebook

A Tunisian court has handed down a death sentence to a 56-year-old man accused of insulting President Kais Saied and undermining state security through posts on Facebook, according to his lawyer and the head of the Tunisian League for Human Rights.

The verdict marks an unprecedented move in Tunisia, where free expression has come under mounting pressure since Saied consolidated near-total power in 2021.

The defendant, Saber Chouchane, a day labourer with limited education, was arrested last year after posting online comments critical of the president, his lawyer Oussama Bouthalja told Reuters.

“The judge in the Nabeul court sentenced the man to death over Facebook posts. It is a shocking and unprecedented ruling,” Bouthalja said. He confirmed that the decision has been appealed. The justice ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

While Tunisian courts have issued death sentences in the past, the country has not carried out an execution for over thirty years.
“We can’t believe it,” said Saber’s brother, Jamal Chouchane, speaking by phone to Reuters. “We are a family suffering from poverty, and now oppression and injustice have been added to poverty.”

The ruling has triggered widespread backlash and disbelief online, with activists and citizens alike condemning it as an effort to silence dissent. Critics warned that such measures could further restrict free speech and heighten Tunisia’s political unrest.

Since Saied dissolved parliament and began ruling by decree, rights groups have accused his administration of eroding judicial independence. The opposition has denounced his power grab as “a coup.”