Press release
Geneva – June 24, 2024
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has monitored that the Primary Court in Kasserine, Tunisia, sentenced blogger and human rights defender Souraya Farshishi to prison during its session on May 28, 2024. The sentence follows a complaint filed by the administration of the regional hospital in Kasserine.
On May 20, 2024, the Tunisian public prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Farshishi in response to the hospital administration’s complaint regarding a social media post about the theft of a car from the regional hospital in Kasserine, which contained a deceased individual. The court sentenced Farshishi to two months in prison and imposed a fine of 2,000 dinars in accordance with Decree 54 of 2022.
CFJ has condemned the verdict, asserting that it represents a blatant violation of Farshishi’s right to freedom of opinion and expression, as protected by Tunisian law and international treaties to which Tunisia is a signatory. CFJ is demanding the immediate annulment of the sentence and Farshishi’s unconditional release, as well as an end to the targeting of human rights defenders for their opinions.
