Jailed Tunisian rapper to be freed on appeal

TUNIS  - A Tunisian rapper jailed for two years for a song in which he insulted the police will be freed on appeal, to the relief of his supporters who hailed Tuesday’s ruling as a victory for freedom of expression. Ala Yaacoubi, who goes by the rap name Weld El 15, was imprisoned on June 13 for a song he wrote called “The Police are Dogs,” and the Tunis court of appeal on Tuesday reduced the jail term to a six-month suspended sentence, allowing him to go free.  “It’s a victory for freedom and democracy, for Weld El 15 who did nothing wrong but made a work of art,” attorney Ghazi Mrabet, who used the singer’s rap name, said following the court’s verdict.

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