"A Tunisian court has sentenced Ahmed Souab, a lawyer and fierce critic of President Kais Saied, to five years in prison, his lawyer said, in a case that rights groups say marks a deepening crackdown on dissent in the North African country. Defence lawyer Yosr Hamid said on Friday that her client had received an additional three-year sentence of administrative supervision after he was arrested in April following criticism of the legal process in a trial of prominent figures, including opposition leaders."
"Souab's trial on anti-terror charges lasted just seven minutes, according to Hamid, who voiced fears it sets a troubling legal precedent. Hundreds of opposition figures, lawyers, journalists, trade unionists and humanitarian workers in Tunisia are being prosecuted for conspiracy or in connection with a fake news decree by authorities. That legislation, Decree Law 54, has been criticised by rights activists, who are concerned over its broad interpretation by some courts."
Ahmed Souab, 68, was sentenced to five years in prison and received an additional three-year period of administrative supervision after his April arrest. The arrest followed his criticism of the legal process in a trial of about 40 prominent figures, including opposition leaders, in a case linked to alleged conspiracy against state security. His anti-terror trial lasted approximately seven minutes; he declined to testify via videolink and his legal team refused to enter a plea under the conditions. Authorities prevented family members from entering the court. Around a dozen charges stem from Decree Law 54, which rights activists say is being broadly interpreted to target hundreds of opposition figures and civic actors.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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