Tunisian journalists protest over media crackdown after colleague’s arrest

On Tuesday, Tunisian journalists staged protests to demand the release of prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi, whose arrest has heightened concerns over President Kais Saied's crackdown on independent media. Activists joined the demonstrators outside a court where Yousfi was being questioned on charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering, allegations critics claim were fabricated to retaliate against his outspoken reporting.

Yousfi, editor-in-chief of the investigative news site Al-Qatiba, was apprehended on Friday as he prepared to host a radio program at Express FM Radio. His arrest sparked international condemnation, with rights groups alleging the case aimed to create a climate of fear among journalists.

Zied Dabbar, head of journalists' union SNJT, told Reuters, "The situation is dark and difficult. Journalists who disturb the authorities are facing legal persecution and fabricated charges." "Today journalists either end up in exile or in prison... But we will resist." This year, several media figures have been incarcerated, including Zied Heni, Mourad Zghidi, and Borhen Bsaies, while Khaoula Boukrim received a four-year jail term in absentia in June.

Once a beacon of free speech post-2011's Arab Spring uprising, Tunisia's democracy has allegedly weakened due to Saied's accumulation of power since 2021 and subsequent decrees. Opposition leaders, alongside dozens of politicians, activists, journalists, and businessmen, have been jailed for charges of conspiring against state security, money laundering, and corruption. Saied insists he will not become a dictator and that freedoms are upheld in Tunisia.