Tunisian anti-racism activist sentenced to eight years in prison

TUNIS - Tunisian anti-racism activist Saadia Mosbah, in prison for nearly two years on financial misconduct charges, was sentenced on Thursday to eight years behind bars, her lawyer told AFP.

The 66-year-old had been at the forefront of defending sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia, particularly after a 2023 speech by President Kais Saied in which he denounced "hordes of illegal migrants" as a demographic threat.

Mosbah, the head of the Mnemty anti-racism association, was arrested in May 2024 and investigated over money laundering, media reported at the time.

During a hearing on Thursday, lawyers for Mosbah, who was tried alongside other members on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment, pleaded their innocence.

"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," lawyer Ben Salem said, announcing an immediate appeal.

Mosbah's son was also sentenced to three years in prison while another activist was handed a two-year sentence.

A day before the hearing, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and World Organisation Against Torture had urged Tunisian authorities to release Mosbah immediately, citing her age and health condition.

In a statement, they said her prosecution was "part of a context of growing repression of civil society in Tunisia", marked by cases against rights defenders, media "smear campaigns" and curbs on NGOs working on migration.

Since President Saied staged a power grab in 2021, opposition figures and rights groups have decried the erosion of rights and liberties in the North African country.