Tunis: A Tunisian military court has sentenced a blogger to one year in prison on charges he insulted the army, his lawyers said, in a case rights activists fear may undermine freedom won after the 2011 revolution.
The blogger, Yassin Ayari, was well known in Tunisia for his criticism of former autocrat Zain Al Abidine Bin Ali and restrictions during his rule on freedom of expression. After the 2011 uprising that ousted Bin Ali, Ayari turned to political criticism of the army.
“A military court sentenced the blogger Yassin Ayari to a year on charges of insulting the army and impacting its morale after comments on Facebook criticised the performance of the defence minister,” lawyer Malek Bin Amor said.
The army did not immediately return calls seeking comment on the case.
Ayari was arrested at the airport last month on arrival from Paris.
Tunisia has been praised for its democratic transition since the fall of Bin Ali, with free presidential and parliamentary elections last year and a new constitution that is seen by supporters as one of the most progressive in the region.
Last November, the secular party Nida Tunis, which includes officials of the former Bin Ali regime, won the most seats in parliament. Newly elected President Beji Qaid Al Sebsi is also a former Bin Ali official.
Critics and some activists worry the return of old guard figures is a setback for the revolution, which aimed to sweep away the country’s autocratic past.
Al Sebsi dismisses the criticism, saying he is president for all Tunisians. He says former Bin Ali officials like him are technocrats untainted by past corruption and abuses.
But the sentencing of a civilian by a military court has left some Tunisian activists and rights lawyers with questions, just as the new government is being named and starting work.
“Of course, there are worries about freedom of expression when someone is judged by a military court,” said another blogger, Lina Bin Mhenni. “But I am not sure whether this has anything to do with Nida Tunis or the old regime types, as they haven’t even named a government yet.”
