The statement warns that Decree-Law 54 has become the government’s primary tool for targeting dissent, with Dahmani facing five separate cases for political commentary, three of which have already resulted in convictions. A fourth case, in which charges have been escalated to criminal offenses carrying a possible 10-year sentence, is scheduled for a key hearing on July 11. The statement also expressed deep concern about the harsh prison conditions faced by Dahmani. 

Her sister, Ramla Dahmani, was also sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for advocating for the journalist’s release on social media.

Organizations can still sign the statement here until Thursday, July 17.

Read the full statement here.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

“Tunisian authorities are not only jailing journalists but are now targeting their families in a clear effort to intimidate and isolate them even further,” said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, CPJ’s chief program officer. “The July 1 sentencing of Ramla Dahmani in absentia for defending her sister, jailed commentator Sonia Dahmani, is cruel and shows the extent to which Kais Saied’s government is willing to go to punish journalists.” 

Ramla Dahmani, who lives in an undisclosed location due to security fears, has become a public voice for her jailed sister. The charges stem from her public advocacy for her sister’s freedom on social media, including her Facebook page, which has more than 13,000 followers. Ramla Dahmani’s lawyers discovered the verdict on Tuesday, July 8, while reviewing court records, as no formal notice was issued, she told CPJ.

Sonia Dahmani is currently serving nearly five years in prison after being convicted of false news charges in three different cases, and she faces two more cases pending trial. One case, scheduled for a hearing on July 11, carries criminal charges that could lead to a 10-year sentence.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

Dahmani’s lawyers withdrew from Monday’s trial to protest that the court was illegally trying her twice for the same act, the journalist’s sister, Ramla Dahmani, told CPJ, referring to the legal principle of double jeopardy.

“Handing Tunisian lawyer and media commentator Sonia Dahmani an additional two-year sentence, on top of her existing term for the same media commentary, is not only harsh, but appears to be a targeted effort to silence her personally,” said CPJ Chief Programs Officer Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must drop all charges against Dahmani and ensure that journalists can make political commentary without being targeted.”

In October 2024, Dahman, who is also a prominent lawyer, received a two-year sentence under Decree 54 on cybercrime on charges of spreading “false” news for commenting on the local independent radio station IFM about the mistreatment of sub-Saharan Africans in Tunisia.

The court said that the second sentence on June 30 was for her comments to a second outlet, the television channel Carthage Plus.

In September 2024, Dahmani was given an eight-month sentence following her May arrest over separate comments she made on Carthage Plus, where she criticized Tunisia’s living conditions and discussed immigration.

Her case is widely seen as part of a broader crackdown on journalists, opposition figures, and government critics that has intensified since President Kais Saied suspended parliament in 2021 and introduced a new constitution, giving himself nearly unchecked power.

According to CPJ’s latest annual prison census, at least five journalists were behind bars in Tunisia on December 1, 2024, the highest number since 1992.

CPJ’s email to the Presidency requesting comment did not receive any reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

“The reclassification of imprisoned commentator Sonia Dahmani’s charges as a felony is yet another alarming escalation in the Tunisian government’s use of cybercrime Decree Law 54 to intimidate and punish critical voices,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately release Dahmani, drop all charges against her, and put an end to the ongoing judicial harassment against journalists and commentators in the country.”

Dahmani, a lawyer and political commentator on IFM radio and Carthage Plus TV, was arrested in May 2024 and is currently serving a 32-month prison sentence on charges in connection with televised remarks about the state of Tunisia’s prisons. The case was filed by the General Directorate of Prisons under Article 24 of the cybercrime Decree-Law 54 on spreading false news charges. 

On Thursday, April 10, the Tunis Court of Appeals upheld felony charges against Dahmani and referred her case to the criminal court, ignoring a February 3 Court of Cassation ruling that found the cybercrime law should only apply to crimes committed via digital systems and not to opinions expressed through traditional media. 

Dahmani faces five charges for her media commentary; four are classified as misdemeanors. 

According to CPJ’s December 1, 2024, prison census, at least five journalists were behind bars in Tunisia, the highest number recorded since 1992. The crackdown has intensified since President Kais Saied’s 2021 power grab—when he dissolved parliament, took control of the judiciary, and gave himself powers to rule by decree.

CPJ’s email requesting comment on Dahmani’s prosecution from the Tunisian presidency did not receive any response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

Tunisia has reached a troubling milestone, with at least five journalists behind bars in CPJ’s December 1, 2024, prison census, the highest number since the organization began keeping track in 1992. Once hailed as a beacon of freedom in the Arab world after the 2011 revolution that sparked the Arab Spring, Tunisia is now erasing the gains it made as it stifles dissent and hampers the work of the press.

The government’s main tool against the media is Decree 54, a cybercrime law introduced by President Kais Saied in 2022 following his 2021 power grab in which he dissolved parliament, took control of the judiciary, and gave himself powers to rule by decree. The law makes it illegal to “to produce, spread, disseminate, send or write false news with the aim of infringing the rights of others, harming public safety or national defense or sowing terror among the population.” Today, four out of the five journalists imprisoned in Tunisia were convicted of violating the decree over their social media posts or commentary.

“Decree 54 has now turned every journalist into a suspect. It treats every journalist as if they are conditionally released from jail pending investigation, because they can be summoned for questioning at any time over anything they post online,” Ziad Debbar, president of local trade union the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), told CPJ.

Local journalists believe that authorities are using Decree 54 to quash investigative and critical journalism, and that many in the media are reverting to self-censorship.

“Decree 54 has been excessively applied to journalists, bloggers, and political commentators in the media,” Lofti Hajji, a founding member of SNJT, told CPJ. “This has led to a huge decline in political television and radio programs that once in abundance offered in-depth analysis of current political issues.” He said that journalists are loath to cover or speak out about the law, for fear that they will be charged under it.

Tunisian authorities stepped up prosecutions of journalists under the law ahead of last year’s October 6 elections, which Saied won by a landslide after jailing his opponents. On May 11, Tunisian authorities made three high profile media arrests. Sonia Dahmani, a lawyer and political commentator, was arrested when masked police officers raided the Tunisian bar association, where she had sought refuge after she sarcastically called Tunisia an “extraordinary country” attracting migrants on a television program. Dahmani was sentenced to one year in prison on false news charges under Decree 54. The sentence was later reduced to eight months on appeal, but she was subsequently sentenced to an additional two years in a separate conviction under the decree.

Dahmani’s colleagues, IFM radio journalists Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaies, were arrested the same day last May. Bsaies was imprisoned under Decree 54 in connection with his television and radio commentary critical of the president and Zghidi over his social media posts in solidarity with journalist Mohamed Boughaleb. Both were sentenced to one year in prison after they were convicted of defamation and false news. Authorities have continued to pile on charges, investigating Zghidi and Bsaies for money laundering.

Prior to Saied’s 2021 power grab, journalists in Tunisia were protected by the press law, Decree 115, which abolished prison sentences for defamation and insult and enshrined protection of journalistic sources, and the 2014 constitution, which ensured freedom of expression. Local journalists say that journalists are vulnerable in new ways since the press law is no longer enforced and the freedom of expression clause of the constitution is not respected. Tunisia’s media regulator, the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication, was hailed for its promotion of media independence, but  Saied’s government forced the authority’s president, Nouri Lajmi, into retirement and suspended its activities in 2023.

Without a media regulator, the Tunisian election monitor, the Independent High Authority for Elections has stepped into its place, hampering the work of the press seeking to cover politics. In August, the monitor revoked the press accreditation of journalist Khaoula Boukrim, editor-in-chief of independent news website Tumedia, over her online coverage of the elections. As of early 2025, Boukrim’s press accreditation was still revoked. The monitor also filed dozens of legal complaints against media organizations and bloggers, and prevented some journalists from covering a press conference in September announcing the final presidential candidates in the 2024 race.

“The [election monitor] functioning as a media regulator during the elections was just utter nonsense,” said Debbar. He said the monitor “referred many journalists [to authorities] to be prosecuted under Decree 54 to punish them for their coverage of the elections.”

In 2025, Tunisian journalists are having a hard time envisioning a future of press freedom under Saied’s new term. Zghidi’s sister, Mariam Zghidi, told CPJ that when she visited her brother in prison that he defended his work – even though it had come at an extraordinary price.

“During my first visit to Mourad in prison, he said to me; ‘I am not a political activist, I am a journalist. And my job entails that I will show public support regarding some topics, but it also entails that I will be critical regarding others, which is my right as a journalist’,” said Mariam. “This is why he is in prison, because he was doing his job.”

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program.

“Sonia Dahmani is already serving an eight-month prison term in Tunisia and sentencing her to two more years over her radio and television commentary is simply cruel,” said CPJ Interim MENA Program Coordinator Yeganeh Rezaian, from Washington, D.C. “Tunisian authorities must drop all charges against Dahmani and cease arresting journalists for doing their jobs.”

Dahmani is a lawyer in addition to providing commentary on political affairs for local independent radio station IFM and television channel Carthage Plus.

She was convicted on October 24 under Decree 54 on cybercrime over her comments on IFM radio about sub-Saharan Africans in Tunisia facing racism. The presidential decree was introduced in 2022 after President Kais Saied suspended parliament and introduced a new constitution, giving himself nearly unchecked power.

In September, Dahmani was given an eight-month sentence following her arrest on May 11 over comments she made on Carthage Plus, where she criticized Tunisia’s living conditions and discussed immigration.

Saied won a landslide victory in elections earlier this month in a vote that was widely boycotted following the arrest of potential rivals and independent journalists.

Tunisian authorities have been aiming to silence opposition by tightening their grip on media freedom since before the October 6 elections

CPJ’s email to the Presidency requesting comment on Dahmani’s sentence did not receive any reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

“The sentencing of Tunisian lawyer and media commentator Sonia Dahmani to eight months in prison on appeal, instead of releasing and acquitting her, is unacceptable because she did not belong in prison in the first place,” said CPJ Interim MENA Program Coordinator Yeganeh Rezaian. “Tunisian authorities must release Dahmani, drop all charges against her, and allow all journalists in the country to cover the elections without intimidation.”

The Tunisian appeals court, issuing its verdict without a hearing and without the presence of Dahmani’s legal representatives, reduced her sentence from one year to eight months.

Dahmani, a lawyer and commentator for local independent radio station IFM and television channel Carthage Plus, was arrested on May 11 over comments that authorities deemed critical of President Kais Saied. On July 6, a court convicted her and imposed a one-year sentence.

Dahmani’s defense team said she had been subjected to a “disgraceful body search” while in custody and forced to wear a long white veil typically worn by inmates convicted of sexual offenses.

Tunisian authorities have tightened their grip over media coverage of the upcoming October 6 elections. Last week, authorities banned sales of the September print issue of Paris-based magazine Jeune Afrique featuring an investigative report about Saied, while the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) prevented journalists from attending the announcement of final election candidates. On August 20, ISIE revoked the press accreditation of Khaoula Boukrim, editor-in-chief of local news website Tumedia, which would likely prevent her from covering the elections.

CPJ’s email to ISIE, and its phone call to the Ministry of Interior, requesting comment on Dahmani’s sentencing, and violations regarding the election coverage received no responses.

Editor’s note: The headline was updated to correct a typo.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

“The sentencing of Tunisian lawyer and commentator Sonia Dahmani to one year in prison for her political commentary is a clear injustice and a demonstration of how President Kais Saied is targeting independent journalism ahead of the October presidential elections,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Dahmani, drop all charges against her, and allow journalists to work freely.

The Court of First Instance convicted Dahmani, a lawyer and political affairs commentator for local independent radio station IFM and television channel Carthage Plus, of spreading false news and sentenced her to one year in prison on Saturday, July 6, in the capital, Tunis. Dahmani was arrested on May 11 over political comments she made on Carthage Plus earlier that month.

Tunisian authorities have made many political arrests ahead of the scheduled October 6 presidential elections. On May 22, a Tunis court sentenced IFM journalists Borhen Bssais and Mourad Zghidi to one year in prison after convicting them of defamation and spreading false news for their political commentary.

CPJ’s email to the Tunisian Ministry of Interior did not receive a response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

Between May 11 and 13, Tunisian police arrested and released two additional journalists amid a new wave of arrests targeting several civil society figures, political activists, and the media.

“Tunisian police’s arrest of five journalists in one week is a clear indication of how President Kais Saied’s government is determined to undermine press freedom and independent journalism,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalists Sonia Dahmani, Borhen Bssais, and Mourad Zghidi, drop all charges against them, and cease harassing reporters doing their job.”

On Saturday, May 11, masked police officers raided the bar association headquarters in the capital, Tunis, and arrested Dahmani, a lawyer and political affairs commentator for local independent radio station IFM and television channel Carthage Plus, according to news reports and a local journalist following the case, who spoke with CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

A court on Monday transferred Dahmani to prison on charges of spreading false news that undermines public safety and inciting hate speech. Dahmani’s arrest comes after she did not respond to a May 10 summons for questioning regarding her May 8 comments on Carthage Plus, where she criticized Tunisia’s living conditions and discussed immigration issues.

Police stopped French broadcaster France 24’s live coverage of the raid and Dahmani’s arrest by forcibly removing the camera from the tripod and arresting their camera operator, Hamdi Tlili, then breaking his camera, according to a report by France 24 and the local journalist who spoke with CPJ. Tlili was released later that day; he is not currently facing charges but can be summoned for questioning.

Separately, on May 11, in Tunis, police arrested Bssais and Zghidi, both IFM radio journalists who present a morning show, “L’emmission Impossible,” where they provide political commentary on current political affairs, according to a report by Reuters news agency and the local journalist.  On Wednesday, a Tunis court ordered the journalists’ detention on charges of “publishing news that includes personal data and false news aimed at defamation” until their trial, which is expected at the end of the month.

The journalists’ lawyers told France 24 that Zghidi’s arrest stems from his social media posts in solidarity with the imprisoned journalist Mohamed Boughaleb, and Bssais’ arrest was in connection to his television and radio commentary critical of President Saied.

Police arrested Boughaleb, a reporter with Carthage Plus and local independent radio station Cap FM, in Tunis, over social media posts on March 22; on April 17, a Tunis court sentenced him to six months in prison on defamation charges.

In another incident on Monday, police arrested freelance photojournalist Yassin Mahjoub, who was covering the arrest of lawyer Mehdi Zargouba during a second police raid of the bar association headquarters. Police deleted all of Mahjoub’s pictures and released him without charge the same day.

On Tuesday, the European Union issued a statement expressing concern over the recent wave of arrests of civil society figures and journalists in Tunisia.

CPJ’s email to the Tunisian Ministry of Interior did not receive a response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.