TunisA court in northern Tunisia handed one-month jail terms on Thursday to four men for eating in public during the Ramazan, a spokesman said.
The four had been eating and smoking in a public garden, a provocative act during Ramazan, which started last week, said Chokri Lahmar, prosecution spokesman at the court in Bizerte.
Their sentencing, which followed complaints from other local residents, comes ahead of a call circulated on social media for a June 11 demonstration to protect the rights of those who decline to take part in the Ramazan fast.
Although the state has the role of guardian of religion under the constitution, Tunisia has no specific law banning eating in public during Ramazan, a controversy which resurfaces each year in the North African country.
Most restaurants and coffeeshops remain shut in Tunisia during daylight hours over the holy month, but some establishments open behind closed curtains to prevent customers from being seen.
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