The condemnation lawyer in Tunisia criticism towards the president of two years in prison | News

Sonia Dhamani, a fierce critic of Kais Saied president, criticized him for practices against refugees and migrants.

A Tunisian court has condemned Sonia Dhamani, an eminent lawyer and renowned critic of Kais Saied President to two years in prison, said lawyers have declared, in one case that the rights defending groups claim that the repression of deepening of dissent in the North African country.

Dhamani lawyers withdrew from the trial after the judge refused to postpone the session on Monday, saying that Dhamani was tried twice for the same act.

The court sentenced Dhamani for declarations criticizing practices against refugees and migrants from sub -Saharan Africa.

Lawyer Bassem Trifi said the verdict was “a serious injustice”.

“What is happening is a farce. Sonia is tried twice for the same statement,” said lawyer Sami Ben Ghazi, another Dhamani lawyer.

Dhamani was arrested last year after making comments during an appearance on television which questioned the government’s position on undocumented African refugees and migrants in Tunisia.

The case was filed under controversial law of the country’s cybercrime, decree 54, which was largely condemned by groups for the defense of international and local rights.

Most of the opposition leaders, some journalists and criticisms of Saied have been imprisoned since Sieeed took control of most powers, dissolved the elected parliament and began to govern by decree in 2021 – moves the opposition that the opposition described as a coup.

Saiey rejects the accusations and says that his actions are legal and aimed to finish the years of chaos and creeping corruption.

Human rights groups and activists say that Saied has made Tunisia an outdoor prison and uses the judiciary and the police to target his political opponents.

Saiey rejects these accusations, saying that he will not be a dictator and seeks to hold everyone responsible also, whatever their position or name.

Earlier this year, the country has made a mass trial in which dozens of defendants have been delivered Prison conditions up to 66 years. Critics have denounced the trial as politically motivated and baseless.

The accused were accused, in particular “conspiracy against state security” and “belonging to a terrorist group”, according to their lawyers.

Among the targets, there were figures of what was formerly the greatest party, Ennahda, like the leader and former president of the Parliament Rached GhannouchiFormer Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, and former Minister of Justice Noureddine Bhiri.

Tunisia had been celebrated as perhaps the only democratic success of 2011 “Arab Spring” Revolutions, with a strong political commitment among its members of public and civil society, which have frequently brought to the waves and streets to make their voices heard.

The years that followed the Revolution, which overthrew the longtime autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben, saw the growth of a healthy political system with many elections declared free and fair by international observers.

But a weak economy and the strengthening of anti-democratic forces led to a decline, crowned by the rejection of the government’s Saied and the dissolution of the Parliament.