Zied el-Heni, known for his outspoken criticism of the Tunisian leader, was arrested on Friday [Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto via Getty Images]
A Tunisian journalist who criticised court decisions against his media colleagues and the judges involved has been arrested by authorities for causing “harm to others” and their reputations, his lawyer told AFP on Monday.
Since President Kais Saied staged a sweeping power grab in 2021 – in what critics have called a coup – rights groups have denounced a regression in freedoms in the country. Dozens of Saied’s critics are currently behind bars.
Zied el-Heni’s arrest came after authorities opened an investigation into comments he made in early April in the capital Tunis about journalists who had been “unjustly” convicted by judges he called “criminals”, according to his lawyer Samir Dilou.
The journalist, known for his outspoken criticism of the Tunisian leader, was arrested on Friday and taken into custody the same day.
He is being prosecuted under a telecommunications law that carries two years in prison for “anyone who knowingly harms others or disturbs their peace through public telecommunications networks”.
According to his lawyer, he is due to appear at a court in Tunis on 30 April.
El-Heni became known for his participation in the uprising in Tunisia that sparked the Arab Spring and toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
