Jail term for Tunisian policemen convicted of rape increased

  Protests during the March trials of the police officers
 

Two Tunisian policeman convicted of raping a woman in a police car have had their sentences more than doubled in a high-profile court case. The officers were jailed for seven years in March, drawing accusations of leniency.

 
The sentences were extended to 15 years on Thursday after an appeal by the victim, known as Meriem Ben Mohamed. Her lawyer described the verdict as "a great step forward" in the way rape cases are prosecuted in Tunisia.
 
She told the AFP news agency she was "satisfied" the penalty had been toughened. "But it's still not enough, in my view, for the filthy crimes which they committed," she said.
 
Speaking to AFP, defence lawyer Sami Rebai described the sentences as "excessive", without saying if the policemen would appeal to a higher court.