Tunisian Man Sentenced to Death Over Facebook Posts Criticizing President Saied

Tunisian Man Sentenced to Death Over Facebook Posts Criticizing President Saied
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A Tunisian court has sentenced 51-year-old Saber Chouchen to death for Facebook posts deemed insulting to President Kais Saied and threatening state security, Arab News reported.

Chouchen was convicted of attempting to overthrow the state, insulting the president, and spreading false information online, in violation of Tunisia’s penal code and the 2022 Decree 54, a cybercrime law widely criticized for curbing free expression.

His lawyer, Oussama Bouthelja, said Chouchen was arrested in January 2024 and suffers from a permanent disability due to a workplace accident. Bouthelja argued that his client had little social media influence and mostly reshared posts with minimal engagement, Arab News reported.

While capital punishment remains legal in Tunisia, no executions have been carried out since 1991. Rights groups condemned the verdict as a severe setback for free speech and judicial independence.