Tunisian Man Sentenced to Death for Facebook Posts Criticising President

A Tunisian court has handed down a death sentence to a 56-year-old man over Facebook posts critical of President Kais Saied, in a ruling described by rights groups as unprecedented and alarming.

The man, Saber Chouchane, a day labourer with limited education, was convicted of insulting the president and undermining state security through social media posts, according to his lawyer and the Tunisian League for Human Rights. His defence team has appealed the verdict.

Rights advocates condemned the sentence as a grave assault on freedom of expression, warning it marks a dangerous escalation in Tunisia’s crackdown on dissent since Saied’s 2021 power grab. Though Tunisian courts occasionally issue death sentences, none have been carried out in over 30 years.

The verdict has sparked widespread outrage online, with activists accusing the government of using fear and intimidation to silence critics.

Opposition figures, many already imprisoned have denounced the ruling as further proof of Tunisia’s eroding judicial independence and authoritarian drift.