The statement warns that Decree-Law 54 has become the government’s primary tool for targeting dissent, with Dahmani facing five separate cases for political commentary, three of which have already resulted in convictions. A fourth case, in which charges have been escalated to criminal offenses carrying a possible 10-year sentence, is scheduled for a key hearing on July 11. The statement also expressed deep concern about the harsh prison conditions faced by Dahmani. 

Her sister, Ramla Dahmani, was also sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for advocating for the journalist’s release on social media.

Organizations can still sign the statement here until Thursday, July 17.

Read the full statement here.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

“Denying medical care to journalist Chadha Hadj Mbarek, whose health is deteriorating in prison, is inhumane and risks further endangering her life,” said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, CPJ’s chief of programs. “Tunisian authorities must ensure Mbarek receives proper medical attention and should release her immediately, as she never should have been imprisoned in the first place.”

Mbarek, a journalist and a social media content editor with local independent content firm Instalingo, is being held at the Al-Mas’adin prison in Sousse, south of the capital Tunis, according to a Facebook statement by the journalist’s brother Amen Hadj Mbarek, and news reports. She suffers from vision loss, spinal and joint pain, and gastrointestinal issues that prevent her from taking painkillers, and has experienced vomiting, fainting, and constant pain, according to her brother, who told CPJ that her condition is rapidly deteriorating.

Her brother said Mbarek’s requests to speak with prison officials about her care have gone unanswered despite repeated hospitalizations and doctors recommending spinal tests and possible surgery. 

Mbarek, arrested in July 2023, is serving a five-year prison sentence under Tunisia’s 2022 cybercrime Decree-Law No. 2022-54. Authorities have barred her from receiving lawyer or family visits until an appeal hearing is scheduled.

CPJ’s email to the presidency requesting comment on Mbarek’s denial of medical treatment did not receive any reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

“The reclassification of imprisoned commentator Sonia Dahmani’s charges as a felony is yet another alarming escalation in the Tunisian government’s use of cybercrime Decree Law 54 to intimidate and punish critical voices,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately release Dahmani, drop all charges against her, and put an end to the ongoing judicial harassment against journalists and commentators in the country.”

Dahmani, a lawyer and political commentator on IFM radio and Carthage Plus TV, was arrested in May 2024 and is currently serving a 32-month prison sentence on charges in connection with televised remarks about the state of Tunisia’s prisons. The case was filed by the General Directorate of Prisons under Article 24 of the cybercrime Decree-Law 54 on spreading false news charges. 

On Thursday, April 10, the Tunis Court of Appeals upheld felony charges against Dahmani and referred her case to the criminal court, ignoring a February 3 Court of Cassation ruling that found the cybercrime law should only apply to crimes committed via digital systems and not to opinions expressed through traditional media. 

Dahmani faces five charges for her media commentary; four are classified as misdemeanors. 

According to CPJ’s December 1, 2024, prison census, at least five journalists were behind bars in Tunisia, the highest number recorded since 1992. The crackdown has intensified since President Kais Saied’s 2021 power grab—when he dissolved parliament, took control of the judiciary, and gave himself powers to rule by decree.

CPJ’s email requesting comment on Dahmani’s prosecution from the Tunisian presidency did not receive any response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

“The sentencing of journalists Chadha Hadj Mbarek and Chahrazad Akacha is a clear example of how the Tunisian government is using judicial harassment to crush press freedom and independent journalism,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Mbarek and ensure that journalists and media workers can work freely without fear of reprisal.”

A Tunis court convicted Akacha and Mbarek, a journalist and a social media content editor at local independent content firm Instalingo, of “conspiring against state security” and “committing an offense against the President of the Republic.” 

Mbarek and Akacha, who has fled the country, were among the 41 people prosecuted in connection with their work at Instalingo since September 2021 following accusations that Instalingo was hired by members of the Ennahda opposition party to distribute content critical of President Kais Saied’s government. All were convicted on anti-state charges and handed long prison sentences on February 5. 

Mbarek, in jail at the time of her sentencing, was initially arrested at her home in the city of Sousse on October 5, 2021, on anti-state charges. A judge dismissed the case and Mbarek’s charges on June 19, 2023, ordering her release, but she was arrested again after the state prosecutor filed an appeal.

According to CPJ’s December 1, 2024 census there are at least five journalists behind bars in Tunisia, the highest number since 1992.

CPJ’s email to the presidency requesting comment on Mbarek and Akacha’s sentences did not receive any reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

“Sonia Dahmani is already serving an eight-month prison term in Tunisia and sentencing her to two more years over her radio and television commentary is simply cruel,” said CPJ Interim MENA Program Coordinator Yeganeh Rezaian, from Washington, D.C. “Tunisian authorities must drop all charges against Dahmani and cease arresting journalists for doing their jobs.”

Dahmani is a lawyer in addition to providing commentary on political affairs for local independent radio station IFM and television channel Carthage Plus.

She was convicted on October 24 under Decree 54 on cybercrime over her comments on IFM radio about sub-Saharan Africans in Tunisia facing racism. The presidential decree was introduced in 2022 after President Kais Saied suspended parliament and introduced a new constitution, giving himself nearly unchecked power.

In September, Dahmani was given an eight-month sentence following her arrest on May 11 over comments she made on Carthage Plus, where she criticized Tunisia’s living conditions and discussed immigration.

Saied won a landslide victory in elections earlier this month in a vote that was widely boycotted following the arrest of potential rivals and independent journalists.

Tunisian authorities have been aiming to silence opposition by tightening their grip on media freedom since before the October 6 elections

CPJ’s email to the Presidency requesting comment on Dahmani’s sentence did not receive any reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

“The sentencing of Tunisian lawyer and commentator Sonia Dahmani to one year in prison for her political commentary is a clear injustice and a demonstration of how President Kais Saied is targeting independent journalism ahead of the October presidential elections,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Dahmani, drop all charges against her, and allow journalists to work freely.

The Court of First Instance convicted Dahmani, a lawyer and political affairs commentator for local independent radio station IFM and television channel Carthage Plus, of spreading false news and sentenced her to one year in prison on Saturday, July 6, in the capital, Tunis. Dahmani was arrested on May 11 over political comments she made on Carthage Plus earlier that month.

Tunisian authorities have made many political arrests ahead of the scheduled October 6 presidential elections. On May 22, a Tunis court sentenced IFM journalists Borhen Bssais and Mourad Zghidi to one year in prison after convicting them of defamation and spreading false news for their political commentary.

CPJ’s email to the Tunisian Ministry of Interior did not receive a response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

Between May 11 and 13, Tunisian police arrested and released two additional journalists amid a new wave of arrests targeting several civil society figures, political activists, and the media.

“Tunisian police’s arrest of five journalists in one week is a clear indication of how President Kais Saied’s government is determined to undermine press freedom and independent journalism,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalists Sonia Dahmani, Borhen Bssais, and Mourad Zghidi, drop all charges against them, and cease harassing reporters doing their job.”

On Saturday, May 11, masked police officers raided the bar association headquarters in the capital, Tunis, and arrested Dahmani, a lawyer and political affairs commentator for local independent radio station IFM and television channel Carthage Plus, according to news reports and a local journalist following the case, who spoke with CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

A court on Monday transferred Dahmani to prison on charges of spreading false news that undermines public safety and inciting hate speech. Dahmani’s arrest comes after she did not respond to a May 10 summons for questioning regarding her May 8 comments on Carthage Plus, where she criticized Tunisia’s living conditions and discussed immigration issues.

Police stopped French broadcaster France 24’s live coverage of the raid and Dahmani’s arrest by forcibly removing the camera from the tripod and arresting their camera operator, Hamdi Tlili, then breaking his camera, according to a report by France 24 and the local journalist who spoke with CPJ. Tlili was released later that day; he is not currently facing charges but can be summoned for questioning.

Separately, on May 11, in Tunis, police arrested Bssais and Zghidi, both IFM radio journalists who present a morning show, “L’emmission Impossible,” where they provide political commentary on current political affairs, according to a report by Reuters news agency and the local journalist.  On Wednesday, a Tunis court ordered the journalists’ detention on charges of “publishing news that includes personal data and false news aimed at defamation” until their trial, which is expected at the end of the month.

The journalists’ lawyers told France 24 that Zghidi’s arrest stems from his social media posts in solidarity with the imprisoned journalist Mohamed Boughaleb, and Bssais’ arrest was in connection to his television and radio commentary critical of President Saied.

Police arrested Boughaleb, a reporter with Carthage Plus and local independent radio station Cap FM, in Tunis, over social media posts on March 22; on April 17, a Tunis court sentenced him to six months in prison on defamation charges.

In another incident on Monday, police arrested freelance photojournalist Yassin Mahjoub, who was covering the arrest of lawyer Mehdi Zargouba during a second police raid of the bar association headquarters. Police deleted all of Mahjoub’s pictures and released him without charge the same day.

On Tuesday, the European Union issued a statement expressing concern over the recent wave of arrests of civil society figures and journalists in Tunisia.

CPJ’s email to the Tunisian Ministry of Interior did not receive a response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

“The sentencing of journalist Mohamed Boughaleb to six months in prison over social media posts and statements on television and radio is a clear attack against independent journalists and the freedom of the press,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna, from New York. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Boughaleb and drop all charges against him.”

Police arrested Boughaleb, a reporter with local independent channel Carthage Plus and local independent radio station Cap FM, in the capital, Tunis, on March 22. The arrest followed a complaint filed by an unnamed employee of the Ministry of Religious Affairs over the journalists’ social media posts and statements on television and radio concerning the ministry’s policies and ministry officials’ visits abroad.

CPJ emailed the Tunisian Ministry of Religious Affairs for comment on Boughaleb’s sentence but did not receive a reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

Boughaleb, a reporter with local independent channel Carthage Plus and local independent radio station Cap FM, was arrested by Tunisian police on March 22 and charged with “defaming others on social media platforms” and “attributing false news to a state official without proof.” His arrest followed a defamation complaint filed by an unnamed employee of the Ministry of Religious Affairs over the journalist’s social media posts and statements on television and radio concerning the ministry’s policies and visits abroad.

On Wednesday, a trial court in the capital, Tunis, postponed Boughaleb’s hearing until April 17, according to Hajer Tlili, a local journalist familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ.

If convicted of defamation, Boughaleb faces up to two years imprisonment and a fine of 120 dinars (US$38) under Article 128 of the penal code; attributing false news to a state official carries between one and two years imprisonment and a fine between 100 (US$31) and 1000 (US$320) dinars under Article 86 of the telecommunications code.

“Tunisian authorities’ arrest and prosecution of journalist Mohamed Boughaleb is a clear example of how President Kais Saied’s government is determined to target local journalists and undermine freedom of the press,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Boughaleb, drop all charges against him, and ensure that all journalists can work freely without fear of detention.”

The state prosecutor at the Tunis trial court ordered Boughaleb’s detention for 48 hours, according to the news reports and Tlili. On March 26, the court ordered his transfer to Mornaguia prison, 20 km (12 miles) west of Tunis.

CPJ emailed the Tunisian Ministry of Religious Affairs for comment on Boughaleb’s arrest and charges but did not receive a reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

On December 28, police arrested el-Heni, a prominent columnist and political commentator for the daily “Émission Impossible” show on the independent radio station IFM, after he responded to a summons for questioning, according to news reports and a journalist familiar with the case who spoke with CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

On Monday, the Tunisian Court of First Instance charged el-Heni with “insulting others on social media,” and ordered that he be detained in Mornaguia prison, 20 km (12 miles) west of the capital, Tunis, pending trial, those sources said. The charges stem from the show’s December 28 episode in which el-Heni criticized the performance of the Minister of Commerce Kalthoum Ben Rejeb, they added.

“Arresting independent journalist Zied el-Heni for providing political commentary on the radio is simply cruel and shows that President Kaies Saied’s government does not respect press freedom,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour in Washington, D.C. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release el-Heni, drop all charges against him, and allow journalists to work freely without fear of imprisonment.”

The next hearing in el-Heni’s trial is scheduled for January 10 and he could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty, according to Tunisia’s Business News and the journalist familiar with the case.

El-Heni was previously arrested on June 20 for allegedly insulting the president on the same radio show. He was released on June 22 and that trial is ongoing, the anonymous journalist told CPJ.

CPJ emailed the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Commerce for comment on el-Heni’s case but did not receive any response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

“The September 3 arrest of journalist Khalifa Guesmi is a clear attack on journalists and the freedom of the press in Tunisia,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, in Washington, D.C. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Guesmi, drop all charges against him, and ensure that journalists can work freely without fear of imprisonment.”

Tunisian police arrested Guesmi, a correspondent at local independent radio station and news website Mosaique FM, in the southern city of Kairouan and brought him to the capital, Tunis, to serve his sentence. 

Guesmi was initially arrested on March 18, 2022, and held for a week after authorities alleged that his reporting about the dismantling of a terrorist cell illegally disclosed information about government surveillance. On November 29, a court sentenced Guesmi to one year in prison. On May 16, 2023, an appeals court increased his sentence to five years.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

On Tuesday, June 20, plainclothes security officers arrested el-Heni, a prominent columnist and political commentator for the daily online radio show Émission Impossible on the independent radio station IFM, according to news reports and a local journalist familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ.

A judge ordered that el-Heni be held in custody ahead of his trial on a charge of insulting President Kais Saied. Authorities brought el-Heni to the Fifth Central Division for Combating Information and Communication Technology Crimes, and as of Wednesday evening he was held pending trial at the Bouchoucha detention center in Tunis, the local journalist told CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.  

If convicted of insulting the president, el-Heni could face up to five years in prison.

“The arrest of journalist Zied el-Heni on criminal insult charges is another clear example of President Kais Saied’s intolerance of the free press in Tunisia,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release el-Heni and ensure that members of the press can discuss newsworthy topics without fear of spending years behind bars.”

Authorities did not allow el-Heni’s lawyer to attend his questioning in detention, and they denied him medication for a heart condition and high blood pressure, according to the journalist who spoke to CPJ.

The judge ordered el-Heni’s arrest in response to a broadcast on Émission Impossible in which el-Heni made mocking statements about Article 67 of the Algerian penal code, which imposes criminal penalties for committing an “evil act” against the president, according to the BBC.

Last month, Tunisian authorities increased the prison sentence for journalist Khalifa Guesmi from one to five years, on charges of disclosing national security information.

CPJ emailed the Tunisian Ministry of Interior for comment on el-Heni’s case but did not receive any response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Erik Crouch.

On Tuesday, May 16, an appeals court in Tunis sentenced Guesmi, a correspondent for the local independent radio station and news website Mosaique FM, to five years in prison on charges of disclosing national security information, according to a statement by Mosaique FM, news reports, and Mosaique FM reporter Hajer Tlili, a who spoke to CPJ. A lower court had previously sentenced him to one year in prison on the same charge.

Authorities alleged that Guesmi’s March 2022 reporting about the dismantling of a terrorist cell illegally disclosed information about government surveillance. On Thursday, the same court sentenced a police officer, whose name was not disclosed, to 10 years in prison for allegedly providing information to Guesmi for that reporting.

Guesmi remains free while his appeal is pending before a court of cassation, according to those sources.

“The punitive sentencing of journalist Khalifa Guesmi to five years in prison is a clear example of how Tunisian President Kais Saied’s government is targeting members of the press over their work,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. “Tunisian authorities must unconditionally drop all charges against Guesmi and allow journalists to work without fear of imprisonment.”

Guesmi was first arrested over his reporting on March 18, 2022, when authorities held him for one week and questioned him about his sources. A court of first instance sentenced him to one year in prison on November 29, 2022; his appeal resulted in Tuesday’s extended sentence.

CPJ emailed the Tunisian Ministry of Interior for comment on Guesmi’s case, but did not receive any response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Erik Crouch.

“Barring journalists from covering the opening session of Tunisia’s new parliament is President Kais Saied’s latest attempt to censor the news and crack down on press freedom,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. “Tunisian authorities must allow all members of the press to cover historic events without harassment or favoritism.”

On Monday, March 13, lawmakers announced that only state media outlets would be able to cover the session, the first since parliament’s dissolution in July 2021, to avoid “disorder” and stop the spread of an “inappropriate image” of the parliament, according to those reports.

CPJ emailed the parliament for comment but did not receive any response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Erik Crouch.

“Tunisian authorities must stop their judicial harassment of journalist Mohamed Mehdi Jlassi and withdraw the unsubstantiated police complaint against him,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Prosecuting journalists on charges unrelated to journalism is clear intimidation.”

Jlassi told Reuters that there had been no attack or clash with the police during the protest and that he believed the police action was an attempt to intimidate his organization and silence criticism of Tunisia’s president.

In September 2022, Jlassi spoke with CPJ about the deterioration of press freedom in Tunisia after President Kais Saied dismissed the prime minister and froze parliament on July 25, 2021. CPJ’s email to the Tunisian Ministry of Interior did not receive a response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

On Monday, February 13, police raided and searched the home of Boutar, the director of the local independent radio station and news website Mosaique FM, in the capital Tunis, and arrested him, according to a statement by the outlet and news reports. Authorities questioned Boutar about the outlet’s operations, including about who chooses guests and oversees the radio station’s program hosts. 

As of Tuesday evening, authorities have not filed any charges or disclosed the reason for Boutar’s arrest, according to Hajer Tlili, a Mosaique FM reporter who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. He is detained at the headquarters of the Anti-Terrorist National Brigade in el-Gorjani district in Tunis.

“The recent arrest of journalist Noureddine Boutar is a clear attack on the press sector in Tunisia,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Tunisian authorities should immediately release Boutar without charge and end the culture of harassment that plagues the country’s journalists and media outlets.”  

Tunisian police also arrested two prominent opponents of President Kais Saied on Monday as part of a surge in arrests of government critics. Mosaique FM frequently criticizes the president during its programs, according to the outlet’s statement.

Since Saied dismissed the prime minister and froze parliament on July 25, 2021, there has been a significant increase in the number of journalists arrested on charges unrelated to the country’s media laws, according to a joint 2022 report to the United Nations by CPJ, the D.C.-based rights group Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, and the local trade union National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists. 

CPJ emailed the Tunisian Ministry of Interior for comment but did not receive any response.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

Hajji began to laugh, saying the scene reminded him of a 2005 CPJ mission to Tunisia, when “plainclothes security officers were following our every move in their car.” He added: “It’s like we’re going back in time!”

CPJ could not meet with Hajji at the Al-Jazeera office because it has remained closed since police raided the bureau on July 26, 2021, confiscating all broadcasting equipment and forcing all staff to leave the building. The raid came less than 24 hours after Tunisia President Kais Saied fired Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspended parliament, granting himself sole executive power. A new constitution, approved by a largely boycotted voter referendum nearly a year later, on July 25, 2022, codified Saied’s nearly unchecked power, upending the checks and balances between the president, prime minister, and parliament provided by the 2014 constitution.

Saied’s decision to shut down Al-Jazeera’s office on the heels of his power grab “symbolizes the state of press freedom under his regime,” Malek Khadhraoui, co-founder and publication director of local independent news website Inkyfada, told CPJ. Over the ensuing 14 months, at least four journalists have been arrested, and two were sentenced to several months in prison by military courts. Many others have been attacked by security forces while covering protests.

“We found that 2022 was one of the worst years in terms of press freedom violations since we began monitoring them six years ago,” Khawla Chabbeh, coordinator of the documentation and monitoring unit at the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), a local trade union, told CPJ in a meeting. On July 25, 2022, the day of the constitutional referendum, “we monitored the most violations against journalists that has occurred in a single day,” said Chabbeh.

The Tunisian Ministry of Interior did not respond to CPJ’s email request for comment about the state of press freedom in Tunisia, or about whether plainclothes security officers had followed CPJ and its local partners in 2005 or this year.

Dismantling independent constitutional commissions

Following the constitutional referendum on July 25, Tunisia approved the new constitution, replacing what was considered one of the most progressive in the Arab world. The new document is missing many of the articles that had guaranteed the protection of rights and freedoms. It eliminates several constitutional commissions created under the 2014 constitution, such as the Human Rights Commission, which investigated human rights violations, and the Independent High Commission for Audiovisual Communication, the country’s media regulatory body.

Saied’s crackdown on Tunisia’s independent constitutional bodies began even before the new constitution was formally adopted. On August 21, 2021, police shut down the headquarters of the National Anti-Corruption Authority without providing a reason. On February 6, 2022, Saied dissolved the High Judicial Council, which was mandated to ensure the independence of the judicial system and to act as a check on presidential powers, in a move United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet described as a “clear violation” of international human rights law. These changes have implications for press freedom, local journalists told CPJ.  

“The 2014 constitution protected the freedom of the press, publication, and expression. However, the new constitution does not mention anything on the independence of the judicial system, which is one of the few things that could guarantee fair trials when violations against journalists or the press occur,” Mohamed Yassine Jelassi, president of the SNJT, told CPJ in a meeting. “And now, with the lack of independent constitutional bodies, we are going to start dealing again with a Ministry of Communications that takes its orders straight from authorities.”

Jelassi said Tunisia’s executive authority is now concentrated almost exclusively in the hands of the president, adding that Saied now has the power to propose and pass decrees and to appoint the members of the judiciary and the constitutional court.

“So even if the president passes a decree related to press freedom, and it gets approved by the parliament, in the past, we had the right to appeal the constitutionality of these decrees,” said Jelassi. “But now, since the president alone has the upper hand in hiring judges, this right is no longer guaranteed. Whatever freedom the new constitution provides with one hand, the law can take it away with the other.”

Jelassi told CPJ that the new constitution further diminishes the protection of journalists and the freedom of publication by using vague language that could lead to the conviction of journalists on charges unrelated to journalism. Under the 2014 constitution, authorities were prohibited from interfering with any journalistic content, since it would violate the freedom of publication. By contrast, the new constitution protects the freedom of publication only if it does not harm “national security,” “public morals,” or “public health,” which are all defined by the law.

Over the past year, authorities arrested journalists Amer Ayad, a talk show host for privately owned channel Zaytouna TV, Khalifa Guesmi, a correspondent at local independent radio station and news website Mosaique FM, Ghassen Ben Khelifa, editor-in-chief of local independent newspaper Inhiyez, and Salah Attia, founder and editor-in-chief of local independent news website Al-Ray al-Jadid, on anti-state charges. Military courts sentenced Attia to three months in prison and handed down a four-month sentence to Ayad.

“This is the first time in years that we see civilians being tried in military courts, let alone journalists,” Chabbeh said. “We consider this a clear indication to where press freedom is headed in the next few years, and it is not a positive one.”

Losing access to information

The 2014 constitution guaranteed journalists’ rights to information through the creation of the National Authority for Access of Information, an independent body responsible for providing information regarding official decisions to the media. Even though that right remains in place with the new constitution, and the National Authority for Access of Information is nominally still operating, Khadhraoui and other journalists said that in practice, government bodies are not providing journalists with the information they need to do their jobs. For example, while the National Authority for Access of Information is supposed to have an office in every ministry, its office in the Interior Ministry has shut down, several journalists told CPJ.

“Today, decrees get written, issued, and applied overnight and they [authorities] inform citizens and journalists of these new laws at the same time. This is problematic because Tunisian citizens are used to receiving transparent journalistic coverage of these topics. That was possible through the office of Access of Information in the Ministry of Interior, which is now closed,” Khadhraoui said, adding that journalists requesting information from the ministry now face bureaucratic obstacles and must sign many forms that often don’t get approved.

Obtaining press accreditations also has become increasingly difficult. Chabbeh showed CPJ its unpublished research on hundreds of local and foreign journalists who had applied for press accreditations to cover the July 25 referendum. While authorities provided them with a written document allowing them to cover the vote, most security officers at the polls did not accept the documents and prevented many journalists from reporting or taking pictures, she said.

Hajji told CPJ that he and his colleagues at Al-Jazeera had been able to renew their press accreditations without problem every year for the past 11 years, but that authorities told them in January that they couldn’t be renewed because of the office closure.

“Since this reason didn’t make sense, the syndicate got involved and helped us get our press accreditations,” said Hajji, adding that they still had to wait six months before they were able to renew special accreditations for camera crews, which used to be renewed automatically with the press credentials.

Hajji also said that while Al-Jazeera has all its paperwork, licenses, and taxes in order, the office remains closed. As of early September, police were still heavily present in front of the bureau’s building, he said.

“It is a mystery to me that they are giving us press accreditations and allowing us to work, yet they’re not allowing us into our office, and they’re not even telling us the reason for shutting it down in the first place,” Hajji said. “It’s been a year now, and we still have no idea why this happened.”

Targeting foreign funding

Khadhraoui, Hajji, and Jelassi told CPJ that local journalists and rights advocates working for independent organizations that receive foreign funding fear that their organizations could be shut down. In a speech on February 24, 2022, Saied said he planned to prohibit foreign funding to local civil society organizations in order to stop foreign intervention in the country. Saied had not issued such a decree by mid-September, but the journalists have told CPJ that they would not be surprised if it happened at any time.

“Most private [and non-profit] news organizations are partially funded by foreign groups or governments,” said Khadhraoui. “Without these funds, it will be impossible to pay staff salaries, and therefore there won’t be any independent press sector in Tunisia.”

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Middle East and North Africa Staff.

On Tuesday, September 6, state security officers arrested Ben Khelifa, editor-in-chief of the local independent newspaper Inhiyez, at his home in Tunis, after raiding his home and confiscating his laptops and electronic devices, according to news reports.

On Wednesday, Tunisia’s counterterrorism authorities accused the journalist of terrorism-related offenses, but did not disclose the specific reason for his arrest, according to news reports and Khawla Chabbeh, coordinator of the documentation and monitoring unit of the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists, a local trade union, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app.

Authorities ordered Ben Khelifa to be held in pretrial detention for five days, after which his detention could continue to be renewed, according to those reports and Chabbeh.

“By arresting journalist Ghassen Ben Khelifa on vague terrorism allegations, Tunisian President Kais Saied’s government is once again demonstrating its dedication to cracking down on the free press,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. “Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Ben Khelifa and ensure that journalists can do their work without fear of detention.”

Ben Khelifa covers local politics and writes political features for Inhyiez, according to CPJ’s review of his work. Most recently, he published an opinion article criticizing the country’s July constitutional referendum, saying it was too vague and did not match the needs of people in the country.

Ben Khelifa is also a human rights advocate and writes about such issues on his Facebook page, where he has about 10,000 followers.

CPJ emailed the Tunisian Ministry of Interior for comment, but did not receive any response. 

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Erik Crouch.

The journalist was charged with “accusing public officials of illegal actions” and “harming the army’s morale and reputation,” according to those sources.

“Despite a year of repression by Tunisian President Kais Saied’s government, we are still shocked by a military court’s decision to sentence journalist Salah Attia to three months in prison,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Attia, drop all charges against him, and ensure that journalists can work freely without fear of imprisonment.” 

The court dropped a third charge of “intentionally harming others, and disturbing their peace, through the media,” Sondes Attia told CPJ. Attia was arrested in a coffee shop in Tunis on June 11 and detained in connection with claims that President Saied ordered the army to close Tunisia’s labor union office; Attia made these claims during a June 10 live interview with Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera, as CPJ documented at the time.

CPJ emailed the Tunisian Ministry of Interior but did not receive a response. 

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

On March 17, Guesmi, a correspondent at local independent radio station and news website Mosaique FM, published an article about the dismantling of a terrorist group in the southern city of Kairouan, according to Mosaique FM’s statement and CPJ’s review of the article, which has since been removed from Mosaique FM’s website but is still available on other local outlets.

On March 18, the counterterrorism investigation unit of the Tunisian National Police in the capital Tunis summoned Guesmi for questioning over the article, according to a statement by the radio station, news reports, and Fahim Boukaddous, executive director of the local trade union National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists, who spoke with CPJ via messaging app.

The unit questioned Guesmi for nine hours and ordered him to reveal his sources, which he refused, citing Counterterrorism Law No. 26 of 2015 which gives journalists immunity from prosecution if they refuse to reveal their sources when reporting on terrorism, according to Boukaddous and news reports. Later the same day, the state prosecutor accused Guesmi of having ties with a terrorist group, and ordered his detention for 5 days pending investigation, according to Mosaique FM’s statement, and Boukaddous.

“Tunisian authorities should immediately release journalist Khalifa Guesmi and stop pressuring journalists to reveal their sources, especially in light of the law granting journalists the right to protect their sources when reporting on terrorism,” said Justin Shilad, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa senior researcher. “Authorities must also allow all members of the press to work freely without fear of detention or intimidation.”

On March 21, the counterterrorism investigation unit continued its investigation into Guesmi, and the state prosecutor upheld their 5-day-detention order, Boukaddous told CPJ, adding that the journalist is currently held at the al-Aouina detention center in Tunis.

CPJ emailed Tunisia’s Ministry of Interior for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

On July 25, 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied fired Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and froze parliament’s activities indefinitely amid anti-government protests, according to news reports. Since then, the press freedom climate in the country has deteriorated significantly, as CPJ has  documented.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.