Tunisian journalist jailed for comments on president, army

A Tunisian military court sentenced journalist Salah Attia to three months in prison Wednesday for public remarks he made about President Kais Saied and the armed forces, his lawyer said.

Attia is the latest in a string of critics and perceived enemies of the president to face prosecution since Saied claimed sweeping emergency powers in July last year.

The military court found him guilty Tuesday of “undermining the armed forces” and “inciting Tunisians to violence”, defence counsel Samir Ben Amor told AFP, adding that he intended to lodge an appeal.

Attia was detained in June after telling Qatar-based international news channel Al Jazeera that Saied had formally requested the military to intervene against Tunisia’s UGTT trade union confederation ahead of a planned general strike. He said the army had then informed the UGTT of its refusal of the president’s request. 

Human rights group Amnesty International condemned Attia’s prosecution for his work as a journalist as a “travesty of justice”.

“Tunisian authorities are perfectly free to dispute and counter what media report about them without arresting and prosecuting journalists,” said Amnesty’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Amna Guellali.

“In any case, no civilian should face trial before Tunisia’s military courts.”