Tunisian Man Sentenced to Death Over Posts

A Tunisian court sentenced a man identified by rights activists and his lawyer as Saber Chouchane to death for Facebook and other social media posts deemed insulting to President Kais Saied and a threat to state security. He was convicted of attempting to overthrow the state, insulting the president and spreading false information online; judges said the posts incited violence and violated Tunisia’s penal code and the controversial 2022 cybercrime Decree 54. Lawyers and activists describe Chouchane as a socially vulnerable day labourer, a father of three with a permanent disability, and say many of the posts were copied from other pages and intended to draw attention to his living conditions rather than to foment unrest. Although civilian courts in Tunisia have handed down death sentences before, none have been carried out since 1991, making the ruling exceptional and prompting an appeal. Rights groups and ordinary Tunisians have criticized the verdict as part of a wider post-2021 tightening of free expression under President Saied that has raised concerns about judicial independence.