Tunisia military court sentences opposition figure Olfa Hamdi to four years in prison

A Tunisian ​military court sentenced opposition politician ​Olfa Hamdi to four ‌years in prison ​on charges of plotting against state security and inciting the military to disobey orders, ‌her lawyer said on Wednesday, the latest move against opponents of President Kais Saied.

Hamdi, the leader of the Third Republic Party who holds US citizenship, ‌was detained at Tunisia's main airport after disembarking from a ‌flight in February. She had been living abroad and previously served as CEO of Tunisia's national carrier Tunisair.

Hamdi has repeatedly criticized Saied’s rule and called for a transitional ⁠government ​and early presidential ⁠elections. The sentence comprises two separate two-year prison terms and total fines of 80,000 ⁠dinars ($26,000), her lawyer Akram Moussa told Reuters. Hamdi was sentenced in March in ​a separate case to two years in prison.

Many opposition leaders, ⁠along with activists and journalists, are behind bars, with critics accusing Saied of having turned ⁠Tunisia ​into a prison since 2021. Saied rejects the accusations, saying he is not a dictator and that the law applies to ⁠everyone, regardless of their position.

Thousands of Tunisians joined the largest protest against Saied ⁠in years ⁠last weekend, accusing him of undermining democracy and mishandling the economy in a growing challenge to his rule. ($1 = ‌2.9814 Tunisian ‌dinars)