US EditionTunisia MP Ahmed Saidani Jailed over Posts Mocking President Kais Saied
Ahmed Saidani was sentenced under a telecommunications law for insulting the president after mocking his flood response, highlighting a broader political crackdown on dissent in Tunisia.
- A Tunisian court in Tunis sentenced a lawmaker to eight months in prison on Thursday, Reuters reported from Tunis on Feb 19, 2026.
- Following visits to flood-hit areas Saied was mocked when Saidani's social-media post accused him of `taking up the hobby of taking photos with the poor and destitute` and called him `supreme commander of sewage and rainwater drainage` on Facebook, earlier this month.
- A judicial official said he was jailed on charges of insulting others via communication networks, and prosecutors cited a telecommunications law punishable by up to two years, his lawyer said.
- Opponents said the sentence signals an intensifying crackdown and human rights groups called Tunisia an `open-air prison` after the 2021 parliament suspension.
- Earlier this month, Tunisia suffered its heaviest rainfall in over 70 years, with at least five dead, amid rising tensions after Saidani's arrest for mocking Saied in a social media post.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Tunisia jails lawmaker Saidani for eight months for mocking President Saied
A Tunisian court on Thursday sentenced lawmaker Ahmed Saidani to eight months in prison over social media posts mocking President Kais Saied, a ruling opponents say signals an intensifying crackdown on critics.
A Tunisian court sentenced parliamentarian Ahmed Saidani to 8 months in prison for a series of social media posts that ironized President Kais Saied, a decision on which opponents say they show...
Tunisian Lawmaker Sentenced: A Crackdown on Dissent?
Tunisian Lawmaker Sentenced: A Crackdown on Dissent? A Tunisian court sentenced lawmaker Ahmed Saidani to eight months in prison for social media posts mocking President Kais Saied, a decision critics argue intensifies a crackdown on dissent.Saidani, once a supporter of Saied, has become a vocal critic, claiming the president monopolizes decision-making. His arrest came after a Facebook post where Saidani described Saied as the 'supreme commande…
Suspended for challenging the role of the body responsible for organizing the elections, the leader of the Free Destourien Party was confirmed guilty, but his sentence reduced to six months in prison, adding to his other convictions.
Tunisia jails lawmaker for eight months for mocking president
A Tunisian court on Thursday sentenced lawmaker Ahmed Saidani to eight months in prison over social media posts mocking President Kais Saied, a ruling that opponents say signals an intensifying crackdown on critics.
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- 38% of the sources lean Left, 37% of the sources are Center
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