A military court in Tunisia has sentenced Olfa Hamdi, an opposition politician and dual Tunisian-American citizen, to four years in prison on charges of plotting against state security and inciting military disobedience. Her attorney indicated that the charges stemmed from social media posts in which Hamdi criticized President Kais Saied’s governance and called for a transitional government and early elections.
Hamdi, who leads the Third Republic Party, was apprehended at Tunisia’s principal airport in February after arriving on a flight. She had previously attempted to run for president in 2024 but was barred from candidacy due to not meeting the minimum age requirement of 40 years. Prior to her detention, Hamdi had been residing abroad while operating a consulting business in the United States, having previously served briefly as head of the national airline Tunisair.
The sentencing comprises two concurrent two-year prison terms resulting from separate convictions, along with fines totaling 80,000 dinars. An additional two-year sentence was imposed in March in a related case. According to her legal representative, the total penalties include monetary fines of approximately $26,000.
International human rights organizations have issued widespread criticism regarding the cases against Hamdi. A U.S. State Department representative told news agencies that the Trump Administration was monitoring the situation closely, emphasizing the government’s commitment to protecting American citizens. Rights advocates have expressed concern that Hamdi’s prosecution reflects a broader pattern of suppressing political opposition and dissent during Saied’s tenure, particularly following his 2021 concentration of executive power. Saied has maintained that legal proceedings are applied uniformly across all individuals regardless of political status.
Recent demonstrations in Tunisia attracted thousands of participants protesting against Saied’s governance, citing concerns over democratic erosion and economic mismanagement. Opposition figures, journalists, and activists have faced imprisonment during his administration, according to civil liberties organizations.
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