A Tunisian military court sentenced opposition politician Olfa Hamdi to four years in prison on charges of plotting against state security and inciting the military to disobey orders. Hamdi, leader of the Third Republic Party and a US citizen, was detained in February after living abroad. Critics accuse President Kais Saied of turning Tunisia into a prison.
The sentencing of Olfa Hamdi, a US citizen and opposition figure, highlights ongoing political repression in Tunisia under President Kais Saied, with critics accusing him of undermining democracy.
A Tunisian military court sentenced opposition politician Olfa Hamdi to four years in prison on charges of plotting against state security and inciting the military to disobey orders, her lawyer said on Wednesday. Hamdi, the leader of the Third Republic Party and a US citizen, was detained in February after disembarking from a flight. She had been living abroad and previously served as CEO of Tunisia's national carrier Tunisair. Hamdi has repeatedly criticized President Kais Saied’s rule and called for a transitional government and early presidential elections. The sentence comprises two separate two-year prison terms and total fines of 80,000 dinars ($26,000). Hamdi was sentenced in March in a separate case to two years in prison. Critics accuse Saied of having turned Tunisia into a prison since 2021, with many opposition leaders, activists, and journalists behind bars. Saied rejects these accusations, stating that he is not a dictator and that the law applies to everyone. Thousands of Tunisians protested against Saied last weekend, accusing him of undermining democracy and mishandling the economy.
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