Tunisian judicial authorities have arrested prominent journalist Zeid El-Heni. they want him imprisoned and tried on defamation charges, just days after he criticized the commerce minister.
El-Heni's first court appearance will be on January 10 on the allegation of "defaming others on social media," according to his lawyer, Ayachi Hammami.
According to Tunisia's national news agency, he was arrested for the first time on Thursday after commenting about the minister on local radio in an interview that was later shared on Facebook.
The Tunisian journalists' organization urged his immediate release, calling his imprisonment a "violation of legal provisions governing the trial of reporters."
Freedom of expression and media were significant victories for Tunisians during the 2011 revolution that deposed autocratic President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and sparked the "Arab Spring" uprisings.
However, activists and journalists claim that freedom of expression has deteriorated since President Kais Saied assumed broad powers in 2021. Saied has stated that his efforts are necessary to free Tunisia from instability caused by a corrupt elite.
