On 11 May 2024, security forces, masked and in civilian clothing stormed the Bar Association offices in Tunis to arrest lawyer and media personality Sonia Dahmani. On 13 May, an investigative judge in the Tunis Court of First Instance ordered her detention pending investigation over critical remarks she made on a TV show. She is accused of spreading false information under Article 24 of draconian cybercrimes Decree-Law 54 which carries a five-year prison sentence and a fine of 50,000 dinars (around 16,000 USD). Sonia Dahmani is currently arbitrarily detained in the Manouba prison in Tunis and her next hearing with judicial authorities is scheduled for 20 May. We call on the Tunisian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Sonia Dahmani as she is detained solely for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression and drop the baseless criminal investigation against her.
