Summary
Two Tunisian radio journalists, Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi, received three-and-a-half-year prison sentences for money laundering. The case forms part of a broader pattern involving legal actions against opposition figures and media critics in Tunisia. Rights groups claim these actions are aimed at stifling dissent under President Kais Saied's leadership.
Key Facts
- Two Tunisian journalists were sentenced to three and a half years in prison for money laundering.
- They were previously jailed on charges of spreading false news.
- Critics argue these charges are part of a crack-down on dissent against President Kais Saied.
- Rights group, Reporters Without Borders, called the case “legal persecution.”
- Another prominent opposition figure, Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, was sentenced to 12 years in jail.
- Tunisia fell 11 places in the World Press Freedom Index in 2025, ranking 129th out of 180 countries.
- Some other detained critics have been released, including lawyer Sonia Dahmani and journalist Chatha Belhaj Mubarak.
