News release
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has observed that the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeals in Tunisia has sentenced lawyer, journalist, and human rights defender Sania Dhamani to 8 months in prison during its session held on Tuesday, September 10th. The sentence pertains to a free speech case involving statements she made during a previous radio interview.
– Prison sentence for media statements:
Previously, the Tunisian Court of First Instance had sentenced Dhamani to one year in prison with immediate effect. Her defense team appealed the ruling, while the public prosecutor’s office also filed an appeal, seeking to increase the sentence.
Dhamani was referred to the Court of First Instance under arrest, based on Article 24 of Decree No. 54 (related to combating crimes involving information and communication systems), following media statements she made regarding sub-Saharan African migrants in Tunisia.
– Four other free speech cases:
Dhamani is also facing four additional cases under this decree. Two cases are related to media statements she made on “IFM Radio” and “Carthage+” TV, where she discussed the issue of racism in Tunisia. The fourth case pertains to her criticism of certain government ministers, and the fifth involves her remarks about the conditions in Tunisian prisons.
Previously, security forces had stormed the lawyers’ bar in Tunis, where Dhamani was holding a sit-in. This incident sparked widespread outrage and was considered an unprecedented and serious event.
– Calls to halt the sentence and release her:
CFJ strongly opposes the Tunisian authorities’ persistent targeting of Dhamani’s opinions and statements, viewing it as a clear violation of her right to free speech and expression. CFJ calls for the immediate suspension of the sentence against her and demands her unconditional release.
