Journalist Zied El-Heni sentenced to one year in prison, union decries return to Ben Ali-era laws
via Business News2 min read
Journalist Zied El-Heni was sentenced to one year in prison on Thursday, May 7, 2026, by the Tunis Court of First Instance, a decision that has sparked strong indignation among journalistic circles. The National Union of Tunisian Journalists issued a firm statement condemning the ruling, which was based on a Facebook post related to El-Heni's participation in a debate, and specifically highlighted the use of Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code, described as a "Ben Ali-era law." The union views this case as part of a broader trend of using repressive texts to circumvent Decree-Law 115 of 2011, which is supposed to exclusively govern press and publishing matters. The organization labeled this practice as a "perversion of the law" and an "instrumentalization of justice" against critical voices. The union also pointed to repeated prosecutions against Zied El-Heni, calling it "judicial harassment" against a journalist who has faced previous custodial sentences. It considers this an alarming signal for the entire profession. The union warned that the increasingly oppressive judicial climate is impacting freedom of expression in Tunisia, leading to a culture of fear and self-censorship among journalists, which affects public debate and citizens' right to free and pluralistic information. The union reaffirmed its solidarity with Zied El-Heni and called for urgent measures, including an end to prosecutions against journalists for their opinions, respect for constitutional guaran
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