TUNIS: 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.
Tunisia frees prominent lawyer Sonia Dahmani
https://arab.news/5qxwh
Tunisia frees prominent lawyer Sonia Dahmani
- Sonia Dahmani spent a year and a half in prison after making televised comments about the government’s stance on undocumented African migrants
Syrian authorities repair Deir Ezzor airport runway to prepare for resuming flights
- Airport has been out of service for more than a decade because of civil war
LONDON: Syrian authorities are repairing key infrastructure at Deir Ezzor Civil Airport ahead of flights being resumed. Government forces have been in control of northeastern Syria since January.
Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced on Monday that technical and engineering teams are repairing the runway, essential facilities, and rebuilding the airport’s perimeter fence to meet international safety and security standards.
The airport has been out of service for more than a decade due to the civil war in the country, which damaged infrastructure, including several bridges in northeastern Syria, where towns are next to the Euphrates River.
The Syrian government regained control over the region from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces through an agreement in January that established a ceasefire and outlined a phased integration of military and administrative structures.
On Sunday, Syrian authorities took over security responsibilities at Qamishli airport in Hasaka Province, northeastern Syria, as part of the agreement with the SDF.
