The sentencing of opposition leader Abir Moussi to 12 years in prison marks a grave assault on democratic freedoms in Tunisia. Moussi, head of the Free Constitutional Party, has faced repeated trials since her 2023 arrest, accused of inciting chaos despite her insistence she was exercising her right to criticize. Her lawyer condemned the ruling as politically motivated, reflecting a broader campaign by President Kais Saied to suppress dissent.

Dozens of politicians, activists, journalists, and civil society figures now languish behind bars, with some receiving sentences as extreme as 45 years. Rights groups warn that Saied has dismantled judicial independence since dissolving parliament in 2021 and ruling by decree. Such acts represent a dangerous erosion of fundamental rights, silencing opposition voices and undermining Tunisia’s fragile democratic aspirations.

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