Tunisia sentences lawyer and Saied critic to five years in prison

Ahmed Souab, a fierce professional of President Kais Saied, faces a fig of charges related to ‘anti-terrorism’ legislation.

A Tunisian tribunal has sentenced Ahmed Souab, a lawyer and fierce professional of President Kais Saied, to 5 years successful prison, his lawyer said, successful a lawsuit that rights groups accidental marks a deepening crackdown connected dissent successful the North African country.

Defence lawyer Yosr Hamid said connected Friday that her lawsuit had received an further three-year condemnation of “administrative supervision” aft helium was arrested successful April pursuing disapproval of the ineligible process successful a proceedings of salient figures, including absorption leaders.

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Souab’s proceedings connected “anti-terror” charges lasted conscionable 7 minutes, according to Hamid, who voiced fears it sets a troubling ineligible precedent.

Hundreds of absorption figures, lawyers, journalists, commercialized unionists and humanitarian workers successful Tunisia are being prosecuted for “conspiracy” oregon successful transportation with a “fake news” decree by authorities.

That legislation, Decree Law 54, has been criticised by rights activists, who are acrophobic implicit its wide mentation by immoderate courts.

Souab, 68, was not allowed to look successful tribunal connected Friday, declining to attest via videolink, according to Hamid. His ineligible squad refused to participate a plea nether the conditions.

Souab faces astir a twelve charges related to the statesmanlike decree connected mendacious information.

“The proceeding lasted lone 7 minutes” earlier the justice retired to deliberate, Hamid told the AFP quality bureau connected Friday.

He said determination was a “lack of cardinal grounds for a just trial” and that the determination to condemnation aft a one-day proceedings acceptable “a precedent”.

Mongi Souab, the defendant’s brother, said authorities “prevented household members from entering” the court, criticising the brevity of the trial.

‘A unsafe escalation’

Souab was arrested successful April aft criticising the proceedings process for astir 40 salient figures, including absorption leaders, successful a lawsuit related to “conspiracy against authorities security”.

Among those targeted successful that lawsuit are figures from what was erstwhile the biggest party, Ennahdha, specified arsenic the person and erstwhile Speaker of Parliament Rached Ghannouchi, erstwhile Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, erstwhile Minister of Justice Noureddine Bhiri, and Said Ferjani, a subordinate of the party’s governmental executive.

Souab was 1 of the main defence lawyers.

After a proceedings involving conscionable 3 hearings, without closing arguments oregon defence pleas, Souab accused authorities of putting “a weapon to the pharynx of the justice who was to present the verdict”.

An anti-terrorism tribunal interpreted the remark arsenic a menace to the judges, and helium was detained implicit it, but Souab’s lawyers said it was a notation to the immense governmental unit connected judges.

Heavy situation sentences of up to 74 years were handed down to those accused successful the “conspiracy” mega-trial. The entreaty related to that proceedings is scheduled to instrumentality spot connected November 17.

Silencing dissenting voices

Several twelve radical demonstrated extracurricular the tribunal connected Friday, brandishing photos of Souab and chanting that the state was “under repression and tyranny”.

Several Tunisian and overseas NGOs person decried a rollback of rights and freedoms since Saied seized afloat powers successful 2021 successful what critics person called a coup.

Separately connected Friday, Tunisian authorities ordered the suspension of the Nawaat journalists’ group, which runs 1 of the country’s starring autarkic investigative media outlets, arsenic portion of a widening crackdown.

The one-month suspension follows akin actions against salient civilian nine groups specified arsenic the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights and the Association of Democratic Women, some known for defending civilian liberties.

Authorities cited fiscal audits linked to overseas backing arsenic justification, but rights advocates said the existent purpose was to soundlessness dissenting voices.

The National Union of Tunisian Journalists condemned the suspension arsenic “a unsafe escalation successful efforts to muzzle autarkic journalism nether an administrative guise”.

Founded successful 2004, Nawaat carried retired investigations connected corruption and quality rights abuses earlier and aft the revolution. In a statement, it said it would not beryllium “intimidated by the existent governmental clime oregon campaigns of defamation”.