Tunisia: Drop all charges against Sonia Dahmani under repressive Decree-Law 54

On June 30, 2025, the Correctional Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Tunis sentenced prominent lawyer and outspoken government critic Sonia Dahmani to two years in prison under the draconian Decree-Law 54 on Cybercrime, for publicly criticizing government practices against sub-Saharan African migrants in Tunisia. This verdict represents not just the silencing of one voice, but a dangerous turning point in the accelerating crackdown on civic space and dissent in the country.

Dahmani’s sentencing is the latest chapter in a campaign of reprisals targeting those who challenge the Tunisian government’s anti-migrant rhetoric and authoritarian drift. On May 11, 2024, masked security officers stormed the Tunis Bar Association to arrest Dahmani, shortly after a live broadcast on IFM Radio in which she pushed back against xenophobic narratives. That same day, journalists Borhen Bsaies and Mourad Zeghidi were also detained.

The repression didn’t stop there. In July 2024, Dahmani was sentenced to one year in prison under Decree-Law 54—later reduced to eight months on appeal. In October, she was handed another two-year term, slightly reduced in early 2025. Now, with this third conviction, Dahmani faces multiple overlapping sentences and at least five separate proceedings under the same law.

These prosecutions are not isolated. Since President Kais Saied’s power grab in 2021, Tunisia has seen a sharp decline in freedom of expression. At least 28 critics—among them nine journalists—have been detained under Decree-Law 54. By the end of 2024, Tunisia held five journalists behind bars, a record high, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Decree-Law 54, enacted in September 2022, is Tunisia’s most potent tool of censorship. Its vague provisions on “false news” and “harm to public order” allow authorities to impose prison terms and heavy fines for speech they dislike. Article 24, in particular, criminalizes online criticism and satire while opening the door to unchecked surveillance. In January 2023, Five UN Special Rapporteurs expressed deep concerns about the incompatibility of Decree-Law 54 with international human rights law and standards, particularly regarding rights to freedom of expression, press freedom, and privacy. They highlighted that the law’s adoption fits within a broader trend of increasing restrictions on fundamental freedoms in Tunisia.

What makes Dahmani’s case particularly disturbing is the sheer force of the state’s retaliation. Her arrest was not just punitive, but performative: a signal to all Tunisians that dissent will be punished, and lawyers are not exempt. Satire, sarcasm, and legal critique now carry the risk of incarceration.

Once a regional beacon for democratic reform, Tunisia is now weaponizing the law to extinguish it. Under the guise of fighting misinformation, the government is crushing independent voices and dismantling civic space.

We urgently call on Tunisian authorities to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally release Sonia Dahmani and withdraw all charges without delay, ensuring her right to a fair and impartial judicial process.
2. Scrap Decree-Law 54 entirely to bring Tunisia’s legal framework into compliance with its international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
3. Implement robust guarantees to safeguard the independence, security, and freedom of expression of lawyers, journalists, and civil society actors—particularly those who expose racism, repression, or authoritarianism—ensuring they can operate without fear of retaliation or persecution.