Tunisia Woman Gets 6 Months in Jail for COVID-Quran Post
A young Tunisian woman was sentenced to six months in jail by a Tunis court on Tuesday over a parody posted on Facebook linking the Quran and COVID-19.
Emna Charki, 27, was found guilty of offending religion and "incitement to hatred" in a May 4 satirical post entitled "the Corona Surah", mimicking the Koran in reference to the illness.
"There's no difference between kings and slaves, follow science and ignore traditions," a passage reads.
Charki, who is not in custody, has three weeks to appeal.
Amnesty International has criticized her trial, saying the post was "a humorous text that imitates the verses of Quran to make fun of the COVID-19 situation."
It was "void of any incitement to hatred or violence," Amnesty said. The post was "intended to be funny and it even includes a call for staying home and washing hands."
The novel coronavirus has claimed 50 lives and infected more than 1,300 people in Tunisia.
Source: Agence France Presse
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