Human Rights Watch accused Tunisia on Tuesday of “regressing” on free speech after a blogger was sentenced to two years’ prison over a Facebook post deemed offensive to the judiciary. Wajdi Mahouechi (photo), 31 and a frequent commentator on social media, had criticised a prosecutor for failing to arrest and investigate a Tunisian imam who appeared to justify killing people who insult the Prophet Mohammed. Mahouechi responded to the imam’s post with his own video criticising the prosecutor for not investigating the cleric. On November 12, a Tunis court sentenced Mahouechi to two years in prison, the court’s spokesman Mohsen Dali told HRW. The New York-based rights group says Tunisian courts have handed jail terms to six people over statements on social media.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 24, 2020 15:45 UTC