VIDEO. In Tunisia, a lawyer arrested in front of television cameras after making sarcastic remarks about the situation in the country

On Tuesday, during a television show, Sonia Dahmani made comments judged, by some users on social networks, as “degrading” for the image of Tunisia.

A striking scene. Tunisian security forces stormed the Lawyer’s House in Tunis on Saturday, May 11, and arrested Sonia Dahmani, a lawyer and columnist who had made sarcastic remarks about the situation in the country. The scene, filmed by France 24, was relayed on social networks.

“Police assault on the Lawyer’s House”, “lawyers attacked and kidnapping of colleague Sonia Dahmani [conduite] to an unknown place”, indicated Dalila Msaddek, member of his defense team on Facebook. Islam Hamza, another defender of the lawyer, confirmed to AFP “the arrest of Ms. Dahmani by police officers”.

France 24 forced to stop its live broadcast

The continuous news channel France 24, whose journalists were on site to cover the movement in support of the lawyer, strongly protested in a press release against the attitude of the hooded police officers. The latter have “violently tore the camera from its tripod, ending the live broadcast of the scene, and stopped (..) the cameraman”who has “was released after about ten minutes.” “L“The France 24 correspondent is doing well”added the channel.

Tuesday, during a television show, Sonia Dahmani launched in an ironic way “what extraordinary country are we talking about ?”, in response to another columnist who had just stated that migrants from several sub-Saharan African countries were seeking to settle in Tunisia. This statement was judged by some users on social networks as “degrading” for the image of Tunisia.

Around sixty people arrested due to a contested decree

On Thursday, the columnist received a summons, which she did not respond to, to appear on Friday before an investigating judge without the reasons being specified. She explained to the press that she refused to appear in court “without knowing the reasons for this summons”. Due to his absence, the investigating judge in charge of this case issued a warrant for his arrest.

According to media reports, the lawyer is the subject of an investigation in particular for disseminating “false information with the aim of harming public safety” and “inciting hate speech”, under the decree-law 54. This decree, promulgated in September 2022 by President Kaïs Saïed, punishes anyone who uses information and communication networks to “write, produce, broadcast” Or “spreading false news (…) with the aim of violating the rights of others or harming public safety”. In a year and a half, more than 60 people, including journalists, lawyers and opponents of Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed, have been prosecuted because of this text, according to the National Union of Journalists.