A Tunisian court has handed down a death sentence to a man accused of posting critical remarks about President Kais Saied on Facebook, a decision that has sent shockwaves through the country’s already tense political climate.
Lawyer Oussama Bouthalja confirmed that 56-year-old day laborer Saber Chouchane was convicted over social media posts that mocked and denounced the president.
“The judge in the Nabeul court sentenced the man to death over Facebook posts. It is a shocking and unprecedented ruling,” Bouthalja said, describing the decision as both extraordinary and alarming.
Chouchane, who has little formal education, was arrested last year after running a Facebook page titled “Kaïs le misérable” (“Kaïs the Miserable”), a name openly deriding President Saied.
Reuters reported his online activity included satirical cartoons, posts urging protests, and messages that prosecutors described as attempts to “overthrow the state.”
Authorities accused him of spreading “false news” and “insulting the president,” charges that rights advocates argue are being used to silence dissent.
An appeal has been filed, according to Bouthalja, but Tunisia’s justice ministry has not commented on the case.
Although courts in Tunisia sometimes issue death sentences, no executions have been carried out for over 30 years.
Family members expressed disbelief and anguish following the ruling. “We can’t believe it,” said Jamal Chouchane, Saber’s brother. “We are a family suffering from poverty, and now oppression and injustice have been added to poverty.”
The verdict ignited a wave of outrage online, as Tunisians flooded social media with messages of disbelief and defiance.
Many see the ruling as a blatant attempt to intimidate government opponents and restrict free expression even further.
Opposition figures have been jailed on a range of charges, while rights organizations, including the Tunisian League for Human Rights and the CRLDHT, warn that the justice system is being weaponized to punish dissent.
The absence of transparency surrounding Chouchane’s posts has also drawn attention. Authorities have not released screenshots or transcripts, a move many view as an attempt to suppress the very content that challenged the government.
For Tunisians who once celebrated the country’s post-revolution commitment to free speech, this is a chilling new chapter.
