Tunisia: Amendment of Several Decree-Laws At Centre of Council of Ministers
First-time offenders will face fines of 10,000 to 20,000 dinars instead of prison terms under the amended cybercrime decree, officials said.
- On Wednesday, Tunisian President Kais Saied eased penalties under a 2022 cybercrime decree, scrapping prison sentences for first-time offenders who disseminate "fake news" while reducing maximum jail time to six months for repeat offenses.
- Rights groups have long criticized the 2022 decree as a tool to muzzle dissent, with authorities using it to prosecute journalist Mourad Zeghidi, lawyer Sonia Dahmani, and party leader Abir Moussi among others.
- Under the amendment, first-time offenders now face financial penalties ranging from $3,370 to $6,740 instead of prison time, while repeat offenders face six months in prison and a fine of 50,000 dinars.
- Reporters Without Borders welcomed the removal of the five-year prison sentence, though regional director Oussama Bouagila stated the revision "is not enough to make this text a legal framework that complies with international standards."
- The Council of Ministers meeting in Carthage also reviewed draft amendments to the Independent High Authority for Elections and municipal councils, amid persistent political tensions following Saied's consolidation of power in 2021.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Amendment to cybercrime law sets fines of up to $6,600, while repeat offenses can still carry prison sentence
Tunisian President Kais Said issued a decision to amend Decree No. 54 on cybercrime, replacing prison sentences with fines for the first time, in a move that was warmly welcomed by journalists calling for the repeal of the Decree.
Tunisia president softens 'fake news' decree after criticism by rights groups
Tunisian President Kais Saied on Wednesday softened a cybercrime decree that was widely criticised by rights groups, by scrapping a five-year prison sentence for the dissemination of "fake news"
Al-Monitor
The Straits TimesTunisian president eases cybercrime penalties after rights groups' criticism
By Tarek AmaraTUNIS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Tunisian President Kais Saied on Wednesday eased penalties under a cybercrime decree that human rights groups had said was designed to muzzle dissent.The move marks a rare retreat by Saied since he consolidated control over much of Tunisia's political system in 2021 and came hours after civil society groups, led by the UGTT union, announced plans for a large national march in protest against what they see…
Tunisia: Amendment of Several Decree-Laws At Centre of Council of Ministers
Tunis -- President Kais Saïed chaired Tuesday the Council of Ministers in Carthage which focused on several draft decree-laws and issues in connection to public services, the Presidency said on Wednesday.
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