A United Nations human rights expert has expressed grave concern over the sentencing of Tunisian judge Anas Hmedi to four years in prison, warning that the case signals a dangerous erosion of judicial independence and the rule of law in Tunisia.
Hmedi, a judge at the Monastir Court of Appeal and president of the Tunisian Judges Association, is set to begin serving his sentence on charges of “obstructing freedom to work”—a move the UN says may constitute reprisal against the judiciary.