A Tunisian court has sentenced a 56-year-old man, Saber Chouchane, to death on charges of insulting President Kais Saied and assaulting state security through social media posts, his lawyer and the Tunisian League for Human Rights confirmed on Friday.
The unprecedented ruling, issued by a court in Nabeul, has sent shockwaves across the country, drawing widespread outrage from activists, rights defenders, and ordinary Tunisians.
Chouchane, a day labourer with limited education, was arrested last year over Facebook posts critical of President Saied.
His lawyer, Oussama Bouthalja, described the judgement as “shocking and unprecedented,” noting that the ruling has already been appealed. The Ministry of Justice has not yet commented.
Although Tunisian courts have occasionally handed down death sentences in the past, none have been carried out in over 30 years.
Rights groups fear this latest judgement could mark a turning point in the erosion of free expression and judicial independence since Saied assumed sweeping powers in 2021 after dissolving parliament and ruling by decree.
“We can’t believe it,” said Jamal Chouchane, the convict’s brother. “We are a family suffering from poverty, and now oppression and injustice have been added to poverty.”
The case has ignited fierce debate online, with many Tunisians describing the ruling as an attempt to intimidate critics of the president and silence dissent.
Observers warn it could further heighten political tensions in the North African nation, where Saied’s opponents have long accused him of orchestrating a coup.
