Tunisian justice sentenced a member of parliament to eight months in prison on Thursday for criticising President Kais Saied on social media after recent floods in the country, local media reported.

Ahmed Saïdani was detained in early February for referring to the president as "Supreme Commander of sanitation and rainwater drainage" after his visits to areas affected by torrential rains.

In the same publication, the MP, a member of the "Sovereign National Line" parliamentary bloc, stated that he would "not be surprised" if Mr. Saied "sometimes forgets that he is president, as he spends his days thinking between pipes and lanterns."

He was sentenced to eight months in prison by the correctional chamber of the Tunis court of first instance, local media reported.

His lawyer, Houssem Eddine Ben Attia, told AFP in early February that he was being prosecuted under Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code, which provides for one to two years in prison for "anyone who intentionally harms others or disturbs their peace through public networks".

Ahmed Saïdani, little known to the general public, had supported President Saied's power grab in the summer of 2021 and approved the conviction and detention of the main opposition figures.

Several Tunisian and international NGOs have denounced a regression of rights and freedoms in the country since July 2021, when Mr. Saied dismissed his Prime Minister and suspended Parliament before electing a Parliament with severely restricted powers.