A Tunisian man sentenced to death for Facebook posts deemed insulting to President Kais Saied has been released just days after the ruling, his lawyer said on Tuesday.
The 51-year-old, Saber Ben Chouchane, was convicted of “spreading false news” and other charges, according to his defence lawyer, Oussama Bouthelja. The Paris-based Tunisian human rights organisation CRLDHT described the verdict as a “serious precedent” and evidence that Tunisia had “reached unprecedented levels of human rights violations.”
Bouthelja told AFP that Ben Chouchane’s family informed him overnight on Monday that he had been released and was back home. The lawyer, who had lodged an appeal last Friday, said he had not yet received details on what led to his client’s sudden release.
The court in Nabeul, east of Tunis, had delivered the death sentence the previous Wednesday, finding Ben Chouchane guilty of “insulting the president, the minister of justice, and the judiciary,” and accusing him of incitement in some posts. Bouthelja said he was “shocked” and “astonished” by the ruling.
Under Tunisian law, attempts to alter the state structure or encourage violent uprisings — including incitement to armed conflict — are punishable by death. Although courts continue to issue death sentences, Tunisia has not carried out an execution since 1991.
President Saied, elected in 2019, initially promised democratic reform after the Arab Spring. However, his sweeping power grab in 2021 has sparked concerns over declining freedoms. In September 2022, he introduced Decree 54, which criminalises the “spreading of false news.” Human rights groups argue the law is being used to silence dissent, with dozens of Saied’s critics jailed under its provisions.