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.
