Tunisia jails anti-racism activist in crackdown on civil society
A Tunisian court has sentenced prominent human rights defender Saadia Mosbah to eight years in prison and fined her $35,000 on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment.
Mosbah, 66, leads Mnèmty, an anti-racism group that advocates for sub-Saharan migrants. She was arrested in May 2024, following President Kais Saied’s 2023 speech denouncing “hordes of illegal migrants” as a demographic threat.
Her lawyer called the verdict “a major shock” and part of a broader effort to dismantle civil society. Mosbah’s son received three years, and another activist two years.
The case is the latest in a widening crackdown. Since Saied dissolved parliament in 2021, authorities have suspended leading rights groups, citing foreign funding audits.
Critics accuse the government of using legal measures to silence dissent and shift blame for migration failures.
Rights organizations had called for Mosbah’s immediate release over health concerns, warning the prosecution reflects intensifying repression of independent advocacy in Tunisia.
