Tunisia jails opposition politician for four years over social media posts

Olfa ⁠Hamdi, a US-Tunisian national, was convicted of ‘plotting’ and ‘inciting’ military to disobey orders.Published On 21 Oct 202621 Oct 2026A Tunisian military court has sentenced an opposition ⁠leader to four years in prison on charges of plotting against state security and inciting the ⁠military to disobey orders, her lawyer has said.The charges against Olfa ⁠Hamdi, a dual Tunisian and United States national, stemmed from social media posts, her lawyer Akram Moussa said on Wednesday. Hamdi has repeatedly criticised Tunisian President Kais Saied’s rule and called for a transitional government and early presidential elections.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Tunisia softens its ‘false news’ penalty. What really changed, and why now?list 2 of 3Tunisia pardons man sentenced to death over Facebook postslist 3 of 3French court denies extradition of ex-Tunisian President Ben Ali’s daughterend of listCritics say the case against Hamdi is the latest in a crackdown on opponents of Saied.In Tunisia’s 2024 elections, Hamdi, who was then 36, sought to run for president. Her candidacy was rejected for not meeting the 40-year age minimum for candidates.Hamdi, the leader of the Th...