Chaima Issa, a Tunisian opposition politician, was sentenced to one year in prison with a one-year suspension by a military court in Tunisia on Wednesday for “offending” President Kais Saied, according to her attorneys.
According to a Facebook post by Issa’s attorney, Dalila Ben Mbarek, Issa, 43 was found guilty of offending Saied, inciting soldiers to defy instructions, and spreading rumors to compromise public safety.
Issa, a member of the National Salvation Front coalition, said after a court hearing Tuesday that Saied’s opponents were being treated like “criminals.”
Saied, who was democratically elected in October 2019, assumed sweeping powers in July 2021 and has since had the constitution revised to substantially weaken parliament.
Issa was arrested in February 2023 as part of a crackdown on Tunisia’s opposition. She was released in July with her trial pending.
Samir Dilou, a member of Issa’s defense team, condemned her court appearance on Tuesday “under the famous decree 54, which penalizes false information.”
Since February, more than 20 Tunisian political opponents, businessmen and others, deemed “terrorists” by Saied, have been jailed over an alleged “plot against internal security.”
