Tunisian Court Sentences Anti-Racism Activist to Eight Years
TUNIS – A Tunisian court sentenced anti-racism activist Saadia Mosbah to eight years in prison Thursday on financial misconduct charges, drawing immediate accusations that the verdict reflects political repression rather than legitimate justice.
Mosbah, 66, has been imprisoned for nearly two years after her arrest in May 2024 on money laundering and illicit enrichment charges. The veteran rights defender had been at the forefront of advocating for sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia, particularly following a 2023 speech by President Kais Saied in which he denounced “hordes of illegal migrants” as a demographic threat.
Mosbah’s son received a three-year sentence alongside other members of her Mnemty anti-racism association who were tried on similar charges. Another activist received a two-year sentence. During Thursday’s hearing, defense lawyers declared innocence and announced an immediate appeal.
“It’s a shocking ruling that has nothing to do with the case. It sends a clear message: under the current regime, civil society work is suspicious,” Mosbah’s lawyer Ben Salem said.
The conviction comes as international human rights organizations have raised alarm about what they describe as mounting political persecution. A day before the sentencing, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the World Organization Against Torture called on Tunisian authorities to release Mosbah immediately, citing her age and health concerns.
These organizations characterized Mosbah’s prosecution as “part of a context of growing repression of civil society in Tunisia,” marked by cases against rights defenders, media smear campaigns targeting activists, and restrictions on NGOs working on migration issues.
Since President Saied consolidated power in 2021, opposition figures and human rights advocates have documented what they characterize as systematic erosion of rights and freedoms in the North African country. Mosbah’s sentencing is the latest in a series of cases targeting civil society activists and independent voices.
