A Tunisian court has sentenced human rights activist Saadia Mosbah to eight years in prison and fined her £26,000 ($35,000). Mosbah, who leads the anti-racism group Mnèmty, had been charged with money laundering and illicit enrichment and was arrested in May 2024. The 66-year-old has long been a prominent advocate for sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia, particularly after a 2023 speech by President Kais Saied, which described hordes of illegal migrants as a demographic threat.

Since President Saied dissolved parliament in 2021, opposition figures and rights groups have warned of a steady erosion of rights and freedoms in the North African country. The verdict is a major shock, and it is part of a broader effort to dismantle civil society groups and shift responsibility for the state's failure to address the migrant issue onto these groups, Mosbah's lawyer, Hela Ben Salem, told Reuters.

Human rights organizations have expressed serious concerns over the implications of this case, stating it symbolizes a crackdown on civil liberties and an increasing repression of dissent. Additionally, Mosbah's son received a three-year sentence, while another activist was sentenced to two years. Rights advocates insist that this prosecution is indicative of a broader pattern of repression against civil society in Tunisia, particularly affecting those who defend migrant rights and freedoms.