Tunisia Sentences Man to Death Over Facebook Posts – The Shocking Details

Tunis — October 8, 2025 - A Tunisian court handed down a death sentence to a 56-year-old day laborer on Friday for Facebook posts deemed offensive to President Kais Saied and a threat to national security, drawing international condemnation as a blow to free speech in the North African nation.

Saber Ben Chouchane, a resident of the southern town of Gafsa with limited education, was convicted on multiple charges including "spreading false news," "insulting the president," and "conspiracy against the state through electronic means."The Gafsa criminal court issued the ruling after a closed-door trial that lasted less than two hours, with Chouchane's lawyer, Oussama Bouthelja, decrying it as "politically motivated" and vowing an appeal.

The posts in question, made in August and September, criticized Saied's economic policies and alleged corruption within his administration, amassing over 1,000 views before authorities seized Chouchane's phone. Tunisia, which has not executed anyone since 1991 despite retaining the death penalty, last used it for terrorism-related offenses in 2017. Human Rights Watch called the sentence "a chilling message to critics," noting it as the first death penalty for online speech since the 2011 Arab Spring revolution that ousted autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The ruling sparked immediate outrage, with Amnesty International labeling it "a dark day for freedom of expression" and urging Saied to commute the sentence.Protests erupted in Tunis and Sfax on Saturday, drawing hundreds who chanted against "judicial terrorism," while opposition parties like the Ennahda Movement demanded judicial independence.

In a swift turnaround, Chouchane was pardoned and released from Gafsa prison on Sunday, just two days after sentencing, his lawyer confirmed.Bouthelja attributed the release to "public pressure and presidential mercy," though critics viewed it as damage control amid Tunisia's economic woes and upcoming 2026 elections.

Saied, who seized sweeping powers in a 2021 "self-coup," has faced accusations of eroding post-revolution gains, with Reporters Without Borders ranking Tunisia 97th out of 180 countries in its 2025 press freedom index—a drop from 24th in 2014.The case highlights ongoing crackdowns, including 2024 arrests of over 50 journalists and activists for social media activity.

Chouchane, a father of three, returned home to Gafsa amid a media blackout, telling supporters via a family statement: "My words were for justice, not harm." As appeals loom, the episode underscores Tunisia's fragile balance between stability and rights in a region rife with authoritarian backsliding.