Tunisia jails president’s critic Ben Mbarek for six months

A Tunisian court on Saturday sentenced opposition figure Jawher Ben Mbarek to six months in prison after being convicted of conspiring against state security.

The news of Mbarek’s sentencing was confirmed by his lawyer and sister.

Mbarek is a fierce critic of President Kais Saied. He was arrested in 2023 after he criticized the 2022 parliamentary election.

His lawyer criticized the sentencing saying Mbarek was not given a chance to defend himself. 

A lawyer himself, Mbarek founded the ‘Citizens Against the Coup’ movement in 2021 following a power grab by President Saied.

Eected in October 2019 for a five-year mandate, Saied suspended parlaiment in July 2021, effectively giving himself absolute powers.

He defended his actions as necessary to fight corruption and to end a political impasse gripping the north African country then caught in the middle of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Saied has since grown more authoritarian, jailing activists, opposition figures, businessmen and judges.