Tunisian Lawyer Ahmed Souab Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

By Al Mayadeen English

Tunisian court jails lawyer Ahmed Souab for five years after his criticism of the judiciary, sparking protests and accusations of political repression.

A Tunisian court on Friday sentenced lawyer and former administrative judge Ahmed Souab to five years in prison, according to his defense attorney, who spoke to Reuters. Souab is known as one of the most prominent critics of Tunisian President Kais Saied.

The lawyer had been detained since April after making public statements criticizing the state of Tunisia’s judiciary. Authorities claimed that his remarks constituted a “threat to the judicial system.”

In April, lawyers in Tunisia reported that a counterterrorism judge had ordered Souab’s detention two days after his arrest for his comments about judicial independence.

Souab’s arrest sparked widespread outrage among political parties and civil society organizations, who described it as “a dangerous escalation in the crackdown on opposition voices” and “a further entrenchment of authoritarian rule” in Tunisia.

This week, activists took to the streets demanding Souab’s release and denouncing what they called the government’s ongoing campaign to silence dissent and restrict freedom of expression.

Lawyer receives two-year prison sentence

Sonia Dahmani, a prominent Tunisian lawyer and vocal critic of Saied, was sentenced to two years in prison back in May in a case that human rights groups say highlights an intensifying crackdown on dissent in Tunisia.

Dahmani was convicted over comments she made criticizing government policies toward sub-Saharan African migrants. Her legal team condemned the ruling, arguing that she is being prosecuted twice for the same remarks, a violation of legal norms.

"This is a grave injustice," said lawyer Bassem Trifi, while fellow attorney Sami Ben Ghazi called the proceedings "a farce", citing the judge’s refusal to adjourn the session, which led to the defense team's withdrawal from the trial.