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Activist Chaima Issa Detained at Tunis Protest After Sweeping Opposition Sentences

International criticism grows over a case rights advocates say criminalizes dissent.

Overview

  • An appellate court concluded a trial of 40 defendants accused of plotting to overthrow President Kais Saied, handing down prison terms ranging from five to 45 years.
  • Twenty defendants were convicted in absentia after leaving the country, with businessman Kamel Ltaif receiving 45 years and several opposition leaders given 20-year terms.
  • Writer and activist Chaima Issa was sentenced to 20 years and, a day later, was detained by plainclothes police during a march in Tunis organized by the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, her lawyer said.
  • The European Parliament adopted a resolution voicing deep concern over declining rule of law and urging protection of free expression and judicial independence, which Saied dismissed as foreign interference.
  • Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International condemned the proceedings as politically motivated, highlighting a broader clampdown since Saied suspended parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree.