Tunisian Interior Minister Hichem Mechichi stressed that Tunisian authorities will not tolerate anyone who praises or glorifies terrorism on social media.
In a presser, he revealed that his ministry will present to parliament a new draft law, which includes strict penalties for those arrested in connection with praising terrorism and glorifying perpetrators of terrorist attacks targeting security forces and the army.
The anti-terrorism and money-laundering law, which was ratified in 2015, included severe penalties for perpetrators of terrorist acts, amounting to the death penalty against those who caused a single death.
This law holds prison terms that could reach three years against those who glorify terrorism, but this punishment did not deter supporters of terrorist organizations from continuing to praise their attacks on social media.
Last week, two assailants on a motorcycle attacked a security forces checkpoint outside the US Embassy in Tunis, blowing themselves up, killing one police officer and wounding four others and a civilian.
Police launched raids on the homes of the suspected bombers shortly after the attack.
US Ambassador Donald Blome said “we are outraged by the attack,” and thanked Tunisian security forces for keeping the embassy secure and their rapid response.
“We reaffirm our commitment to our longstanding friendship with Tunisia and our alliance with them against the scourge of terrorism,” he said in a statement.
The attackers were previously arrested and imprisoned for glorifying terrorism.
The lawyer of one of the bombers pointed out that his defendant was sentenced to three years in prison over glorifying terrorism. The court reduced the sentence against him to one year, after an appeal.
