Tunisia replaces jail terms with fines for ‘false news’ under cybercrime law

Tunisia has replaced prison sentences with financial penalties for spreading "false news" under its cybercrime law, according to an amendment published Wednesday in the country's Official Gazette.

Before the amendment, Decree 54 provided for prison terms of up to five years for spreading false information deemed harmful to public security or the rights of others.

Under the amended provision, such offenses are punishable by fines ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 Tunisian dinars ($3,300-$6,600).

The same penalties apply to spreading fabricated or falsified material, personal data or false claims intended to defame others, damage their reputation, cause material or moral harm, incite attacks or promote hate speech.

Repeat offenses can still carry a six-month prison sentence and a fine of 50,000 dinars (more than $16,000), while penalties are doubled when the targeted person is a public official or equivalent.

The amendment came after a Cabinet meeting chaired Tuesday by President Kais Saied to consider changes to Decree 54 and other legislation.

Decree 54 has faced criticism from rights groups over concerns about its impact on freedom of expression.