Punishing the Advocate: Tunisia Targets Sister of Jailed Journalist

July 09, 2025 – Tunisia – 

In a chilling escalation of Tunisia’s crackdown on dissent, Ramla Dahmani, sister of imprisoned journalist and commentator Sonia Dahmani, was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison on July 1, 2025. Her crime: publicly calling for her sister’s release. The verdict, which she only discovered on July 8 through her legal team, came without any official notification and was based on allegations of spreading “false news” through social media posts.

Ramla has been vocal in defending Sonia, who was convicted in three separate cases for similar “false news” charges and is already serving nearly five years in prison. Sonia faces two additional prosecutions, including one with a maximum penalty of ten years, with her next court hearing scheduled for July 11. The ongoing legal assault against both sisters has drawn widespread condemnation from press freedom advocates.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) denounced the ruling as an attempt to isolate further and silence Tunisia’s independent voices. “Tunisian authorities are not only jailing journalists but are now targeting their families in a clear effort to intimidate and isolate them even further,” said CPJ’s MENA representative. The organization called on Tunisian officials to immediately reverse Ramla’s sentence and drop all charges against Sonia.

This case marks a stark deepening of Tunisia’s repression under President Kais Saied, whose administration has weaponized the judiciary to stifle critical reporting and free expression. As of December 2024, at least five journalists remained behind bars—the highest number Tunisia has seen in over three decades. The use of vague laws to criminalize dissenting voices, paired with an increasingly hostile climate for media and human rights defenders, signals a broader authoritarian turn.

The sentencing of Ramla Dahmani sends a dangerous message: not only are critics at risk, but so are those who dare to speak on their behalf. Her case highlights the extent to which Tunisian authorities are willing to go to suppress any form of advocacy, thereby further shrinking the space for independent journalism and civil society in the country.

Reference – 

Tunisia sentences sister in absentia for advocating for jailed journalist Sonia Dahmani