A Tunisian court has sentenced a 51-year-old man to death after finding him guilty of posting content on Facebook that was considered offensive to President Kais Saied and harmful to state security, his lawyer said on Friday.
The man, identified as Saber Chouchen, was convicted on charges of attempting to overthrow the state, insulting the president, and spreading false information online. Judges ruled that his online posts encouraged violence and disorder, violating Tunisia’s penal code and the 2022 cybercrime legislation known as Decree 54.
This marks the first death sentence in Tunisia related to social media activity, though capital punishment has not been carried out in the country since 1991. Dozens of people have received prison terms for similar charges since President Saied consolidated power in 2021.
Chouchen’s lawyer, Oussama Bouthelja, said his client had been in pretrial detention since January 2024. He described him as a father of three who works irregular jobs and lives with a disability from a workplace accident. Bouthelja argued that Chouchen’s Facebook activity had minimal reach, noting that many posts were copied from other sources and received almost no interaction.
Also Read:
Delivering Excellence in the Property and Investment Landscape: Benjamin Hunter
Driving Excellence and Transformation in the Pharma Landscape: Radwan Shaker Al-Zalak
