Second detention order issued for journalist Zied El-Heni
via Business News1 min read
The Indictment Chamber of the Tunis Court of Appeal issued a second detention order against journalist Zied El-Heni on Tuesday, June 10, 2026. The case relates to his tenure on the Carthage municipal council, where he is accused of alleged abuse of office by a public official to gain an unjustified advantage for himself or others, and for causing harm to the administration. Four other individuals are implicated in the case, including one currently detained in connection with alleged antiquities trafficking. Initially, the investigating judge had referred El-Heni to the Indictment Chamber while he remained free. However, after reviewing the case, the Indictment Chamber decided to order his detention. The same body also decided to refer Zied El-Heni to the Criminal Chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance, where he will appear under arrest in connection with this case.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Business News.
The village of Sidi Bou Saïd was officially added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on Saturday, July 25, 2026, following the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea. This decision, adopted by consensus, brings the number of Tunisian sites on the list to ten, making Tunisia the African country with the most inscribed sites. The Committee adopted Tunisia's application without amendment, recognizing Sidi Bou Saïd's exceptional universal value as a living cultural landscape that combines memory, spirituality, artistic inspiration, and intercultural dialogue. The Tunisian application, titled "Sidi Bou Saïd: a center of cultural and spiritual inspiration in the Mediterranean," sought autonomous recognition for the village, separate from the archaeological site of Carthage, which has been on the list since 1979. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs stated that preparation of the dossier began in February 2024, under instructions from the President of the Republic, Kaïs Saïed, and was officially submitted in February 2025. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the National Heritage Institute, led the dossier's development, involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, other national institutions, and the African World Heritage Fund. This inscription acknowledges Sidi Bou Saïd's unique architectural model and its significance as a testament to Tunisia's history and identity. The Tunisian representative thanked memb
A collective of eleven human rights organizations has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating health of Rached Ghannouchi, former President of the Assembly of People's Representatives and president of the Ennahdha movement. In a statement released on Friday, July 24, 2026, the signatories stated that his health has significantly worsened in detention and called for his immediate release, along with all political and opinion prisoners in Tunisia. Ghannouchi, 85, is currently hospitalized after multiple transfers to a health facility in recent weeks amid high temperatures. The organizations report that the former political leader is suffering from an aggravation of several health issues, including discomfort due to heat stress, persistent blood pressure instability, worsening Parkinson's disease symptoms, severe pain in his left leg, sleep apnea episodes, and exhaustion exacerbated by high temperatures. He has reportedly been transferred to the hospital four times in the last month and is currently undergoing treatment. The signatories believe his condition now exceeds what can be managed in a penitentiary. The NGOs also criticize the broader context of prosecutions against political officials, magistrates, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders in Tunisia, citing concerns about fair trial guarantees, prolonged pre-trial detention, and the use of broad penal provisions to prosecute political activities. They also claim that Ghannouchi's lawyers and family member
Tunisia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday, July 24, that it summoned the French Ambassador to Tunisia to convey a "strong protest" following an interview broadcast recently by a French public channel with "a person wanted by Tunisian justice." The ministry's statement indicated that the interview allegedly undermined "the sovereignty of the Tunisian state," targeted "its national security and institutions," and constituted "an explicit call for sedition and internal confrontations." The summoning of the French diplomatic representative was made under instructions from President Kaïs Saïed. The Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad expressed the "indignation" of the Tunisian authorities regarding what they consider to be a repetition of hostile content broadcast on French public media. While the ministry's statement did not specify the identity of the interviewed person or the media involved, this protest follows an interview given this week by former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki to the French channel France 24, in which he strongly criticized Tunisia's current political management. During this intervention, Moncef Marzouki notably denounced official discourses targeting sub-Saharan migrants, believing that the policy pursued by the Tunisian authorities constituted a detrimental break with the country's African environment. The former head of state also severely criticized Tunisia's political evolution sinc