Tunisia frees prominent lawyer Sonia Dahmani, a critic of the president

Tunisia freed prominent lawyer Sonia Dahmani, a vocal critic of President Kais Saied, on Thursday after a year and a half in prison and she said she hoped her release would pave the way for dozens of other critics to walk free.

Dahmani, who is also a media commentator, is widely seen as a leading dissenting voice in Tunisia, and her arrest last year prompted local protests demanding her release and international criticism.

She was convicted for comments during a television appearance that questioned the government's stance on undocumented African migrants in Tunisia. The court said the comments had insulted her country and spread false information intended to harm it.

As Dahmani was released from Manouba prison, dozens of her family members and activists chanted: "The police state's era of repression is over."

She told reporters, "I hope this is the end of the nightmare for me and all the other prisoners."

Her lawyer Sami Ben Ghazi said the justice minister had issued a release order under a system that enables prisoners to apply for release after serving half their sentences.

The Journalists' Syndicate welcomed Dahmani's release and called for the release of other detained journalists.

International and local rights groups said Dahmani's imprisonment last year marks a deepening crackdown on dissent in the North African country.

Most opposition leaders, some journalists, and critics of Saied have been imprisoned since Saied seized control of most powers in 2021, dissolved the elected parliament, and began ruling by decree, moves the opposition has described as a coup.

Saied rejects the charges and says his actions are legal and aimed at ending years of chaos and rampant corruption.

Human rights groups and activists say Saied has turned Tunisia into an open-air prison and is using the judiciary and police to target his political opponents.

Saied rejects these accusations and says he is holding everyone accountable equally, regardless of their position or name.