A Tunisian court has sentenced Saadia Mosbah, a prominent 66-year-old anti-racism activist and head of the Mnemty association, to eight years in priso
A Tunisian court has sentenced Saadia Mosbah, a prominent 66-year-old anti-racism activist and head of the Mnemty association, to eight years in prison on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment.
Following her arrest in May 2024 amid a crackdown on groups assisting sub-Saharan migrants, she was also fined approximately $35,000.
The ruling, which included prison terms for her son and another activist, was labelled “shocking” by her defence team, who announced an immediate appeal.
Mosbah, a recipient of the 2023 U.S. State Department’s Global Anti-Racism Champions award, became a key defender of migrants following President Kais Saied’s controversial 2023 remarks labelling irregular migration a “demographic threat”.
Her detention and conviction highlight the intensifying pressure on activists fighting for human rights in the country.
International rights organisations, such as the World Organisation Against Torture, have condemned the sentencing, viewing it as part of a broader crackdown on civil society, as mentioned in.
Critics argue the government is targeting activists to deflect from its own challenges in managing migration issues.
This development represents a severe blow to independent advocacy in Tunisia, which once saw significant democratic progress after 2011.
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