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Prominent Tunisian journalist Zied Heni was detained on Friday following the publication of an article critical of the nation’s judiciary.
His lawyer, Nafaa Laribi, confirmed that the arrest was ordered by the public prosecutor, though specific charges have yet to be disclosed.
The Tunisian journalists’ union has condemned the detention as an arbitrary act of intimidation, viewing it as a significant escalation in the ongoing suppression of free expression within the country.
The arrest comes amid heightened concerns from international rights groups regarding the erosion of democratic safeguards since 2021, when President Kais Saied dissolved parliament and began ruling by decree.
During this period, Saied also disbanded the Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed numerous judges, a move critics argue stripped the judiciary of its independence.
While the president maintains these actions were necessary to combat corruption and that the courts remain autonomous, opposition leaders contend the legal system is now being used to target political rivals and independent voices.
Since the consolidation of executive power three years ago, a wide array of politicians, activists, and media professionals have been jailed on various charges, ranging from corruption to conspiring against state security.
This shift marks a stark departure from the era of expanded civil liberties that followed the 2011 revolution.
Although the government continues to assert that no citizen is above the law and that freedoms are guaranteed, the growing list of detained journalists suggests a narrowing space for dissent in Tunisia.
