Tunisia Journalist Prison Sentence 2026: Media Freedom Under Fire
A Tunisian court has sentenced radio journalists Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi to 3.5 years in prison. Explore the implications of the Tunisia journalist prison sentence 2026.
Is holding a microphone becoming a crime in Tunisia? In what critics call a blatant attempt to silence dissent, a Tunisian court's handed down new prison terms to prominent media figures.
Tunisia Journalist Prison Sentence: A New Wave of Persecution
On January 22, 2026, the Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced radio journalists Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi to three and a half years in prison for alleged "money laundering." This adds to their existing eight-month sentence from May 2024 regarding "spreading false news."
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), their only real "crime" was criticizing the political decisions of President Kais Saied. "So long as journalists are put behind bars for their work, the Tunisian public's right to information will remain seriously threatened," warned Oussama Bouagila, RSF's North Africa director.
The Erosion of Democracy and Press Ties
Since President Kais Saied took office in 2019, rights groups have observed a systematic rollback on freedoms. The crackdown isn't limited to the media. In December 2025, opposition leader Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, 81, received a 12-year sentence in a trial slammed as a "sham."
The stats tell a grim story. In 2025, Tunisia fell 11 places in the World Press Freedom Index, dropping from 118th to 129th out of 180 countries. While some high-profile detainees have been released recently, experts argue these are isolated acts rather than a shift in policy.
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