TUNISIAN PRESIDENTIAL Candidate Sentenced to Two Years in Prison Amid Crackdown on Opposition

Kais Saied, the sitting President of Tunisia, is facing growing backlash as a potential presidential candidate for 2022, Abir Moussi, was sentenced to two years in prison. The move is seen as a yet another blow to the country’s emerging opposition, which is struggling against the president’s attempts to muzzle dissent.

Moussi, the leader of the right-wing Free Destourian Party, was arrested in October after her criticisms of the electoral process and President Saied’s decrees raising concerns over transparency. Following an investigation, she was found guilty of violating a controversial anti-fake news decree, which has been used to Silence critics of the authorities.

Despite being behind bars, Moussi intends to run in the upcoming presidential election set for October 6, with no legal restrictions preventing her from doing so, according to her lawyer, Nafaa Laribi. Laribi explained that Moussi’s morale remains high and a planned appeal will be pursued, seeking to overturn the conviction.

The news comes amid a growing crackdown against President Saied’s critics. His opponents have been detained in increased numbers, including prominent figures involved in the 2011 protests that toppled longtime dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

With leading opposition figures like Abir Moussi behind bars, President Saied is projected to face minimal competition in the election, considering the once-vibrant democracies in the Middle East and North Africa.

Moussi gains support from those nostalgic for pre-revolutionary Tunisia and is often at odds with Islamist leaders, with a particular focus on Ennahda’s Rached Ghannouchi, who is currently imprisoned.

This recent development further confirms the worrying trend of political repression in a country that once celebrated its path towards democracy.