UN Special Rapporteur urges Tunisia to drop charges against Sonia Dahmani after 18-month prison sentence
via Business News2 min read
Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, has condemned the 18-month prison sentence handed down to lawyer and columnist Sonia Dahmani by the Court of Appeal of Tunis. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Lawlor expressed disappointment, calling the judgment "unjustifiable" despite being a reduced sentence. She highlighted that Dahmani had only been released four months prior after 18 months in deplorable detention conditions and urged Tunisian authorities to drop all charges related to her peaceful human rights work. Lawlor also called on Tunisia's Permanent Mission in Geneva to review its position on the case. This stance comes amid recurring criticism from international organizations regarding the use of legal provisions related to information systems to prosecute civil society actors, journalists, and lawyers for public statements. Dahmani's conviction stems from statements she made as a columnist discussing racial discrimination in Tunisia, which authorities reclassified as the dissemination of false information under Article 24 of Decree-Law No. 54 concerning offenses related to information and communication systems. Her judicial file includes multiple charges under the same decree-law, with her initial arrest on May 11, 2024, leading to several detention warrants before she was granted conditional release on November 27, 2025, by a decision from the Minister of Justice.
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Tunisian red shrimp exports to Italy are currently blocked, raising concerns among parliamentarians and industry stakeholders. Member of Parliament Syrine Bousandel stated on July 14, 2026, that administrative dysfunctions are jeopardizing an industry supporting thousands of families. A group of MPs has petitioned the Head of Government and contacted the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture for a resolution, but no response has been received. Bousandel indicated that Tunisia has an annual export quota for red shrimp, but the Ministry of Agriculture allegedly failed to update required documents, leading to the blockage of shipments to the Italian market. Some goods have already been returned, while others remain pending, creating uncertainty for professionals. Bousandel emphasized that this situation threatens the entire sector, from fishermen to exporters and processing unit employees, who are not responsible for the administrative errors. She also urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage with Italian authorities, questioning the lack of diplomatic reaction to a matter with significant economic consequences. The issue began in June when Italian authorities suspended red shrimp imports from Tunisia. The Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forests reported that Tunisian-validated capture certificates showed volumes exceeding the 36,000 kg annual quota set by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. Over 50,960 kg of red shrimp we
A widely circulated Facebook post claiming the Egyptian Ministry of Health officially banned C-sections, except in extreme necessity, has been debunked as false. Investigations found no official communication from the ministry announcing such a prohibition. Instead, Egyptian health authorities have been implementing a long-standing policy to reduce medically unjustified C-sections, not to ban them. Official recommendations encourage natural childbirth when medically feasible, while maintaining C-sections for maternal or infant protection. The Egyptian Health Council's guidelines emphasize clinical evaluation by health professionals for such decisions. Egypt has a high C-section rate, prompting a national strategy to reduce unnecessary interventions through medical training and improved obstetric practices. This strategy does not include a general ban on C-sections. This rumor has been circulating on Egyptian social media since October, appearing in various forms suggesting an official decision, but no official document has confirmed it. The Egyptian authorities' policy aims to combat C-sections performed without medical indication, not to eliminate them, as C-sections remain essential in many obstetric situations.
Tunisia's Assembly of People's Representatives ARP approved two loan agreements for the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company STEG on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. These loans are intended to finance an energy sector reform program. The first bill, approving a guarantee agreement between Tunisia and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IBRD for a STEG loan, passed with 72 votes in favor, 19 against, and six abstentions. The second bill, concerning another guarantee agreement with the IBRD as the implementing entity for the Clean Technology Fund, also for STEG, was adopted with 19 votes against and six abstentions. These loans aim to improve efficiency, performance, and governance in Tunisia's energy sector, strengthen electrical infrastructure, and support renewable energy development. The adoption followed several days of parliamentary tension, including a session on Friday, July 10, being suspended and postponed. Deputy Bilel El Mechri had accused the Assembly President, Brahim Bouderbala, of delaying the vote due to strong opposition, calling the agreements "colonization loans" and alleging they would benefit foreign companies and lead to STEG's privatization.