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Tunisia: Man, 56, handed death sentence over Facebook post criticising president

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Tunisian president Kais Saied was addressing the media before he won the polls. Photo: Thierry Monasse. Source: Getty Images

A Tunisian court has handed a death sentence to a 56-year-old man accused of insulting President Kais Saied and threatening state security through social media posts, in what rights groups have condemned as an unprecedented assault on free expression.

 

The man, identified as Saber Chouchane, is a day labourer from the remote Cap Bon region and father of three.

According to Africa News, with only secondary-level education, Chouchane managed a little-followed Facebook account under the pseudonym ‘Qais al-Taees,’ where he published critical remarks about the president to a limited audience of a few dozen followers.

Why was Chouchane sentenced to death?

Chouchane was convicted under broad provisions of Tunisia’s Penal Code, including Article 67 (insulting the president), Article 72 (plotting to change the form of government), and charges of spreading false information.

His lawyer, Oussama Bouthalja, described the ruling as ‘shocking and unprecedented,’ stressing that no executions have been carried out in Tunisia for more than three decades despite occasional death sentences.

Chouchane’s family denounced the ruling as an act of injustice and oppression, saying poverty had now been compounded by political persecution.

The verdict immediately triggered a wave of criticism and ridicule across social media, with activists and ordinary citizens warning that the ruling was intended to intimidate Saied’s critics and suppress dissent.

Human rights group demand Chouchane’s release

According to HuMENA, a human rights organisation, the case reflects ‘the alarming deterioration of Tunisia’s judicial system,’ particularly since Saied consolidated power in 2021.

The group warned that the death sentence over Facebook posts is not merely an individual case; it marks a turning point in the dismantling of civic space in Tunisia.

HuMENA has called for the immediate annulment of the judgment, Chouchane’s release, and reforms to align Tunisian law with international human rights standards.

The group also urged authorities to safeguard judicial independence and end political interference in the courts.

“The death penalty is inhumane, irreversible, and has no place in a justice system,” HuMENA said. “Its use as a tool to punish peaceful expression is doubly egregious, violating both the right to life and human dignity.”

Chouchane’s legal team has already filed an appeal, with observers warning the case could deepen political tensions and further erode freedom of expression in Tunisia.

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Kidnappers Took Loan With My Phone – Victim Recounts Ordeal

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A woman has shared a disturbing account of her abduction in Abuja, detailing how kidnappers allegedly exploited her personal information during captivity.

According to her, she was kidnapped while going home in a bus and kept blindfolded for two days as her captors demanded a ransom of ₦5 million from her family and friends.

She further alleged that while she was still in captivity, the abductors accessed her phone and used it to download a loan application.

With her ATM card and identification documents in her possession at the time, they reportedly secured a loan of ₦148,000 without her knowledge.

The victim said she remained unaware of the transaction throughout her ordeal, as she was blindfolded and focused on pleading for her life.

She revealed that when she later found out and wrote to the loan app, they insisted she must pay off the loan.

“I was kidnapped in a bus in Abuja. They blindfolded my eyes for two days. Even after asking for ransom of 5 million from my family and friends, they took a loan. They downloaded a loan app on my phone, and I always carry my ATM card and my ID cards in my bag, so they used it to up the loan app and took a loan of 148 thousand Naira. I didn’t even know about the loan all the time I was there cause I was blindfolded and just begging for my life….” she partly said.

 

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Man Ends His Marriage After Finding Photographs Of His Wife With Another Man While Browsing Google Maps

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A husband was left shocked and reportedly had to end his marriage after discovering photos of his wife with another man while using Google Maps.

The man was using Google Maps to plan a route before setting off on a journey when he noticed an image of his wife sitting on a bench, stroking the hair of another man whose head rested in her lap.

Captured by a Google camera vehicle in Lima, the Peruvian capital, the stunned husband said the photograph grabbed his attention because the woman pictured seemed to be wearing identical clothing to pieces his wife owned.

Although the photo dated back to 2013, the furious husband challenged his wife with proof of her previous betrayal.

The pair, whose identities remain anonymous, subsequently divorced after the woman confessed to having an affair.

In a twist of fate, she was photographed with her lover on a bench near the city’s Puente de los Suspiros de Barranco (Bridge of Sighs of the Ravine).

 

The husband recently posted the photographs on Facebook where they sparked considerable reaction amongst users.

One social media commenter, San Pateste, said: “What a small world it is… It would have been enough if she said to her husband that she did not love him any more.”

Guillermo Sanchez added: “Out of 100 women, 90 per cent are not loyal, the rest are loyal and only have one eye (hahaha) or are immortal (hahaha).”

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Explosion injures soldier, NSCDC personnel in Imo

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An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, explosion injured a soldier and a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

A counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, made this disclosure on X.

Makama disclosed that the incident occurred at about 8:35am on March 18 during a joint operation by troops of 34 Artillery Brigade in the Orsu general area.

According to the source, the personnel were operating around a suspected hideout of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, when they stepped on a concealed pressure-activated IED.

It noted that the device detonated, leaving both operatives injured.

“They were immediately administered first aid and subsequently evacuated to a medical facility for further treatment.

“Operations are ongoing in the area to dismantle criminal hideouts and enhance safety,” the source said.

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