Chaima Issa, a vocal opponent of President Kais Saied, received a one-year suspended jail sentence from a Tunisian military court, signaling, according to the opposition, a broader crackdown on dissent.
Issa faced charges of inciting the army to disobey and insulting the president, allegations she vehemently denied. Criticizing Saied’s attempts to establish what she termed a “tyranny,” she also urged the army to stay out of the 2022 parliamentary elections.
In February, Issa and 20 other political leaders were detained on suspicion of plotting against state security, an action the opposition viewed as Saied’s move to solidify authoritarian rule after dissolving parliament and acquiring extensive powers in 2021. Although released in July, rights groups are calling for the freedom of other detainees, characterized by Saied as terrorists and traitors.
The opposition interprets Wednesday’s suspended jail sentence as a further effort to silence critics. Samir Dilou, a senior official in the main opposition coalition, Salvation Front, emphasized that the military court lacks the authority to try opponents, urging an end to what he calls “opinion trials.” He, also serving as Issa’s lawyer, stated, “A country that revolted against injustice shouldn’t prosecute opponents for their ideas and opinions.”
Issa, expressing her perspective before the court appearance, lamented, “Tunisia was a beacon of freedom, but today it has become a large prison where free opinion is besieged.”
