A court in Tunisia has handed an eight month prison sentence to lawmaker Ahmed Saidani over Facebook posts that mocked President Kais Saied during his visits to areas hit by deadly floods, in a move critics say shows a deeper clampdown on dissent.
Saidani was arrested earlier this month after publishing comments that made fun of the president’s response to severe flooding that struck parts of the country, including the capital, Tunis. At least five people died in the floods, and several others remain affected as communities struggle to recover.
In one of the posts, Saidani sarcastically called Saied the “supreme commander of sanitation and rainwater drainage” and accused him of “taking up the hobby of taking photos with the poor and destitute” while touring damaged neighborhoods. The comments quickly drew attention online and led to his arrest.
He was jailed on Thursday after being charged with insulting others through communication networks, according to a judicial official. His lawyer, Houssem Eddine Ben Attia, told AFP that the case was based on a telecommunications law that punishes “harming others via social media,” an offence that carries a possible prison term of up to two years.
Human rights groups argue that the case is part of a wider effort to silence critics. They point to actions taken by Saied since 2021, when he suspended parliament and began governing by decree, moves that reshaped the country’s political system and drew sharp debate at home and abroad.
Saidani, elected to parliament in 2022, had once backed the president’s push to gather more power and supported the arrest of opposition figures. In recent months, however, he shifted his stance and became more vocal, accusing Saied of centralizing decision making while avoiding blame for the country’s problems.
The arrest has also stirred anger inside parliament. Fellow lawmaker Bilel Mechri criticized the move in remarks to Reuters, saying: “This is a violation of the law and an attack on institutions. How can parliament hold the executive authority to account if it carries out an unlawful arrest over critical views.”
The sentencing of a sitting lawmaker over online remarks has added to concerns about freedom of expression in Tunisia, as the country faces both political strain and the fallout from natural disasters.
