“Supreme commander of the sewer”, the insult for which a Tunisian parliamentarian ended up in prison. The president of the country was targeted

A Tunisian court has sentenced lawmaker Ahmed Saidani to eight months in prison for a series of social media posts mocking President Kais Saied, a decision that opponents say shows the intensification of repression against critics of the regime, Reuters notes.

Once a supporter of Saied's policies against political opponents, Saied has become a vocal critic, accusing the president of trying to monopolize decision-making while letting others bear the blame for problems that arise.

Saidani was arrested this month after mocking the president on Facebook, describing him as the “supreme commander of sewage and sewage.”

“This is a violation of the law and an attack on institutions. How can Parliament hold the executive to account if it resorts to illegal arrest because of critical views,” said Bilel Mechri, Saidani's parliamentary colleague.

Saidani was elected in late 2022 in a narrowly-turned parliamentary election that followed Saied's dissolution of the previous parliament and dismissal of the government in 2021. Since then, Saied has ruled by decree, leading the opposition to claim a coup.

Most opposition leaders, some journalists and critics of Saied have been arrested since he took power. Human rights organizations claim that Saied has imposed a personal regime and turned Tunisia into an “open-air prison”.

Instead, Saied claims to be enforcing the law and trying to “clean up” the country.