Tunisian military court hands opposition leader Olfa Hamdi four-year jail term

A military court in Tunis convicted opposition figure Olfa Hamdi of plotting against state security and urging the armed forces to defy orders, imposing two successive two-year prison terms and fines of 80,000 dinars. Hamdi, the head of the Third Republic Party and former chief executive of the national airline Tunisair, was detained at the country's primary airport upon her return from overseas. Her attorney Akram Moussa noted that she had already received a separate two-year sentence in March.

Holding US citizenship, Hamdi has repeatedly denounced President Kais Saied's rule and advocated for a transitional government and early presidential elections. The ruling adds to a growing list of opposition leaders, activists, and journalists behind bars, amid accusations that Saied has turned Tunisia into a prison state since 2021. Saied rejects the claims, insisting the law applies equally to all citizens.