Trending 
A Tunisian court has sentenced prominent journalist Zied el-Heni to one year in prison after he criticised judges for wrongly convicting other journalists.
The ruling was delivered on the same day the United Nations human rights chief called on Tunisian authorities to end what he described as growing repression against civil society, journalists, rights defenders and opposition figures.
El-Heni, a known critic of President Kais Saied, was arrested on April 24 after authorities opened an investigation into comments he made earlier in the month.
At the time, he condemned what he described as unjust convictions of journalists and referred to certain judges in strong terms, according to his lawyer.
He was prosecuted under a law that criminalises the use of public telecommunications networks, including social media, to allegedly harm others or disturb public order, carrying a penalty of up to two years in prison.
In a statement released by his support committee, El-Heni said the trial was “illegitimate” and declared that he would not recognise it or its outcome, adding that he would not appeal the verdict.
He had previously received a six-month suspended sentence in 2024 under the same law after calling for the dismissal of a former trade minister on a radio programme.
Since President Saied’s consolidation of power in 2021, a move critics have described as a coup, rights organisations have reported a steady decline in civil liberties in Tunisia, with several of his opponents currently detained.
Volker Türk also condemned the situation on Thursday, citing “continued repression and restrictions on civic space” and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of individuals detained for expressing their views.
