Tunisian opposition leader Chaima Issa gets suspended jail term by Tunisian Court

A Tunisian opposition leader Chaima Issa has received a suspended prison sentence of one year for insulting the president, her lawyer says.

Chaima Issa, who denies any offence, was found guilty by a military court of inciting soldiers to disobey orders and insulting President Kais Saied, as informed by Islem Hamza. These charges stem from comments Issa made in which she accused Saied of attempting to establish a "tyranny," deemed parliamentary elections in 2022 as pointless, and called on the military to refrain from participating.

The opposition in Tunisia perceives Issa's sentence as an attempt to silence critics of Saied. The president, who was democratically elected in October 2019, seized power in July 2021 by removing the former parliament and prime minister. He subsequently granted himself extensive emergency powers and enacted a new constitution to undermine the authority of parliament. Furthermore, he has taken a strong stance against his political opponents. 

Issa herself, along with 19 other political leaders, was detained in February over suspicions of plotting against state security. However, she was released in July with pending trial. Various human rights groups have called for the release of the remaining political detainees, including Rached Ghannouchi, former parliament speaker and leader of the Ennahdha party. Despite these appeals, Saied has refused to release them, labeling them as "terrorists" and "traitors" and warning that judges who release them would be aiding their crimes. 

Following a court hearing on Tuesday, Issa, who is a member of the National Salvation Front coalition, criticized the treatment of Saied's opponents, saying that they were being treated like criminals. She emphasized that they are politicians opposing the coup that occurred on July 25, 2021, asserting that they were not criminals, plotters, or traitors. Human rights activists have strongly criticized Issa's conviction, particularly due to the fact that she was tried in a military court. 

On X, previously known as Twitter, Salsabil Chellali from Human Rights Watch expressed that it was unjust for her to face prosecution or be tried in a military court merely for expressing her opinions. 

According to Samir Dilou, a senior official in the National Salvation Front and Issa's lawyer, the military court is not authorized to prosecute political opponents, and trials based on opinions should be discontinued. 

Dilou further remarked that a nation that has undergone a revolution against injustice should not have the authority to subject its adversaries to trial based on their ideas and viewpoints.