Tunisia President Kais Saied (left)
A Tunisian court has released Sabre Chouchane, a man sentenced to death last week for Facebook posts critical of President Kais Saied.
Chouchane was released on Tuesday, Oussama Bouthelja, his lawyer, confirmed.
The 56-year-old day labourer’s sentence sparked a wave of public criticism and human rights concerns.
His ruling was unprecedented in Tunisia, where restrictions on free speech have been tightened since Saied’s election in 2019.
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Two years into his presidency, Saied dissolved parliament and later rewrote the constitution.
The president has also been accused of cracking down on political opposition and dissidents.
Chouchane’s release also comes after his lawyer noted that his judgment had been appealed.
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Bouthelja had described his client as a regular citizen with limited education who was simply writing posts critical of the president before his arrest last year.
Chouchane had also been accused of assaulting state security through his social media posts.
