human rights defender
Sonia Dahmani
Actions and Campaigns
Organization affiliation
- Ordre national des avocats de Tunisie (ONAT)
HRD's year of birth
1968
HRD's Gender
Woman
Type of HRD
- Lawyer
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
HRD's geographical origin
Urban
HRD's bio and work
(AI Translated) Sonia Dahmani is a renowned Tunisian lawyer and an influential media commentator. She is particularly known for her candid and critical interventions on political and social issues in Tunisia. As a commentator, she has participated in popular shows such as “Émission Impossible” and “Denya Zida.”
Sonia Dahmani is also a mother of a daughter.
Current Status
Released on parole
Detained since
May 11, 2024
Date of release
Nov 27, 2025
Charge(s)
- Spreading fake news
Sentence
(AI Translated) In total, 6 years and 2 months in prison for statements about conditions in Tunisian prisons and racism towards sub‑Saharan migrants in Tunisia, under Decree‑Law 54 on cybercrime, criticized for its repression of freedom of expression.
Latitude: 36.803894080089094
Longitude: 10.092583894729616
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Africa: Northern Africa
Location of detention - City/Town
(AI Translated) Tunis
Location of detention - Facility
(AI Translated) Manouba Prison
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
(AI Translated) In detention, Sonia Dahmani was subjected to various forms of ill‑treatment, including deprivation of movement, denial of access to appropriate medical care, and prohibition from walking or even stretching.
Recent case update / evolution
(AI Translated) In May 2024, Sonia Dahmani was arrested by plain‑clothes security forces at the headquarters of the Bar Association in Tunis, following statements made during a television program, accusing her of disseminating false information under Decree‑Law 54. This arrest sparked a wave of solidarity, notably from the National Bar Association of Tunisia (ONAT), which launched a strike in protest.
In October 2024, while already detained, Sonia Dahmani was sentenced to an additional two‑year prison term, which heightened concerns about freedom of expression in Tunisia.
On 30 June 2025, Sonia Dahmani was sentenced to an additional two years in prison.
On 27 November 2025, Sonia Dahmani was released on parole.
On 13 April 2026, the Tunis Court of Appeal sentenced Sonia Dahmani to one year and six months in prison in the “Racism 2” case for violating Decree‑Law No. 54.
On 25 May 2026, the criminal chamber of the Tunis First Instance Court sentenced Sonia Dahmani to two years in prison under Decree‑Law 54 for remarks made in 2023 in which she criticized conditions in Tunisian prisons. This is the fourth conviction of Sonia Dahmani under Decree‑Law 54.
Any other relevant documents
(AI Translated) Sonia Dahmani: detained, denied medical care, reduced to immobility (https://www.businessnews.com.tn/sonia-dahmani--enfermee-privee-de-soins-reduite-a-limmobilite,520,148172,3)
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