Tunisian man sentenced to death for Facebook posts criticising President Kais Saied
Judges said his posts incited violence and disorder, violating both Tunisia’s penal code and the 2022 cybercrime law, Decree 54. Observers note this is the first ruling of its kind in Tunisia.
A Tunisian court has handed down a death sentence to a 56-year-old man for Facebook posts considered insulting to President Kais Saied and a threat to national security.
The defendant, Saber Chouchane, was found guilty on Wednesday of three charges: attempting to overthrow the state, insulting the president, and spreading false information online.
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Judges said his posts incited violence and disorder, violating both Tunisia’s penal code and the 2022 cybercrime law, Decree 54. Observers note this is the first ruling of its kind in Tunisia.
Although the death penalty is still part of Tunisia’s legal system, executions are extremely rare.
The last known execution was carried out in 1991, when a serial killer was put to death, meaning Saber's sentence does not automatically translate into an immediate execution.
Saber’s lawyer, Oussama Bouthelja, said on Facebook that his client has been in pretrial detention since January 2024.
Oussama described the 56-year-old as a father of three, an occasional day labourer living with a permanent disability from a workplace accident.
He added that the defendant had limited education and little influence online.
“Most of the content he shared was copied from other pages, and some posts received no engagement at all," he wrote. “In court, he said his intent was to draw authorities’ attention to his difficult living conditions, not to incite unrest.”
The ruling makes use of Decree 54, which criminalises producing, sharing, or writing false news that could harm public safety, national defence, or cause fear among the population.
Rights groups have criticised the law as a tool to curb freedom of expression.
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