Dozens demonstrate in Tunisian capital in defence of press freedom

Dozens of people demonstrated outside the headquarters of the Tunisian journalists union in the capital, Tunis, on Friday demanding press freedom.

They were supporting the Franco-Tunisian columnist, Mourad Zeghidi, and his colleague Borhen Bsaies, who have been in detention since 2024.

They waved “Free independent press” signs while chanting “innocent people are in prison.” Media freedom has declined sharply in the country in recent years.

After initially being convicted for “spreading false news,” Zeghidi and Bsaies were then charged with money laundering and tax evasion.

In January, they were sentenced to three and a half years in prison and their appeal trial is due to resume on Tuesday.

The president of the Tunisian journalists' union, Zied Dabbar, said journalism in Tunisia is in danger, adding that Zeghidi had now spent more than 700 days in prison.

“At the beginning, he was prosecuted under Decree 54 for the simple reason that he posted on Facebook to express his solidarity with our colleague Mohamed Boughaleb, who was also imprisoned,” he said.

Hamma Hammami, a prominent figure on the left, warned that the objective was “to establish an authoritarian regime.”

"This creeping fascism today seeks to kill freedom of the press, freedom of organisation, and freedom to protest, so that the Tunisian people are left with no way to defend their rights," he said.

Zeghidi's daughters were among the protesters.

"We've come to show our father that we're not giving up, that we're going to keep fighting, that the time for staying silent is far, far behind us," said Inès Zeghidi.

National and international NGOs regularly denounce a "regression" of rights and freedoms in Tunisia since President Kais Saied suspended parliament in July 2021 and seized executive power.