Tunisian Commentator Sonia Dahmani Sentenced to 1 Year

Lisa Bryant / VOA
A Tunis newsstand with President Saied on the front cover of a prominent magazine.
9 July 2024
Committee to Protect Journalists (New York)

New York — The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a Tunisian court's sentencing of lawyer and political commentator Sonia Dahmani to one year in prison on Saturday and calls for her immediate release.

"The sentencing of Tunisian lawyer and commentator Sonia Dahmani to one year in prison for her political commentary is a clear injustice and a demonstration of how President Kais Saied is targeting independent journalism ahead of the October presidential elections," said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. "Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Dahmani, drop all charges against her, and allow journalists to work freely.

The Court of First Instance convicted Dahmani, a lawyer and political affairs commentator for local independent radio station IFM and television channel Carthage Plus, of spreading false news and sentenced her to one year in prison on Saturday, July 6, in the capital, Tunis. Dahmani was arrested on May 11 over political comments she made on Carthage Plus earlier that month.

Tunisian authorities have made many political arrests ahead of the scheduled October 6 presidential elections. On May 22, a Tunis court sentenced IFM journalists Borhen Bssais and Mourad Zghidi to one year in prison after convicting them of defamation and spreading false news for their political commentary.

CPJ's email to the Tunisian Ministry of Interior did not receive a response.

Read the original article on CPJ.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.