A Tunisian court has sentenced lawmaker Ahmed Saidani to eight months in prison after convicting him on charges of insulting others via communication networks over social media posts that mocked President Kais Saied, a ruling that has drawn renewed attention to Tunisia’s tightening political climate and the limits of free expression under the current administration.
The verdict was delivered on Thursday, following Saidani’s arrest earlier this month in connection with comments he published online after Saied visited areas devastated by recent deadly floods, with judicial authorities saying the posts crossed legal boundaries set out in Tunisia’s telecommunications legislation governing online conduct and the use of digital platforms.
According to judicial officials, the prosecution stemmed from social media posts in which Saidani derided President Saied’s public appearances in flood-hit neighbourhoods, referring to him sarcastically as the “supreme commander of sanitation and rainwater drainage,” language the court ruled constituted an offence under laws criminalising insults conveyed through communication networks.
The judicial official said the lawmaker was sentenced under provisions that prohibit “insulting others via communication networks,” offences that can carry penalties of up to two years in prison, underscoring the seriousness with which Tunisian authorities are treating online criticism of state officials. Saidani was taken into custody shortly after the posts circulated widely online, amid heightened sensitivities following the floods that left parts of the capital, Tunis, and other regions under water.
Saidani’s lawyer, Houssem Eddine Ben Attia, confirmed the legal basis of the conviction, telling AFP that his client was prosecuted under a telecommunications law targeting “harming others via social media,” an offence punishable by up to two years in prison. Ben Attia criticised the application of the law to political speech, arguing that the case reflected a broader pattern of using existing legislation to stifle dissenting views, even when expressed in satirical or critical terms. Judicial authorities, however, maintained that the ruling was grounded in existing statutes and followed due process, rejecting claims that the sentence was politically motivated.
The case has also highlighted shifting political alliances and growing fractures within Tunisia’s legislature, as Saidani was once a supporter of President Saied’s consolidation of power following the suspension of parliament in 2021 but has since emerged as an outspoken critic of the president. In his online commentary, Saidani accused Saied of monopolising decision-making while avoiding responsibility for governance failures, claims that resonated with broader opposition narratives accusing the president of centralising authority.
In a separate Facebook post cited by prosecutors, Saidani mocked the president for “taking up the hobby of taking photos with the poor and destitute” during visits to flood-affected areas, remarks that authorities said went beyond permissible political critique.
Reaction from fellow lawmakers was swift, with criticism focusing on the implications for parliamentary oversight and democratic accountability. Fellow MP Bilel Mechri condemned the arrest and sentencing, telling Reuters, “This is a violation of the law and an attack on institutions.
How can parliament hold the executive authority to account if it carries out an unlawful arrest over critical views.” The controversy has also revived debate around parliamentary immunity in Tunisia, which traditionally protects lawmakers from arrest while performing official duties but allows detention in cases involving criminal offences, a provision authorities cited in justifying Saidani’s prosecution.
The backdrop to the case includes the severe flooding Tunisia experienced last month, described by officials as the heaviest rainfall in more than 70 years, which left at least five people dead and several others missing. The disaster prompted President Saied to tour affected areas in Tunis and other parts of the country, appearances that were widely covered by state and private media and that became the focus of Saidani’s critical posts. The floods intensified public scrutiny of government preparedness and response, amplifying political tensions at a time of heightened economic and social strain.
More broadly, the sentencing fits into an ongoing debate over governance and political freedoms in Tunisia since Saied’s election in 2019, when he campaigned on promises to restore stability after years of turbulence following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled long-time leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.
Since suspending parliament in 2021 and beginning to rule by decree, Saied has faced mounting criticism from human rights groups, which accuse him of escalating a crackdown on dissent and reimposing aspects of authoritarian rule. Last November, a Tunisian court handed prison sentences to dozens of opposition leaders, lawyers, and businessmen accused of attempting to overthrow the president, cases that further alarmed rights advocates.
Saied, now 67, has repeatedly rejected accusations of dictatorship, insisting he is acting within the law and working to “cleanse” the country, positions that continue to divide public opinion as Tunisia grapples with questions about the balance between authority, accountability, and freedom of expression.