A Tunisian judge has released prominent journalist Mohamed Boughalleb, a critic of President Kais Saied, after being jailed last year on charges of insulting a public official.
This move comes two days after the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Tunisia to end the arrests, arbitrary detentions, and jailing of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and politicians.
Boughalleb’s release is seen as a positive step, but dozens of senior politicians, including Abir Moussi and Rached Ghannouchi, two of Saied’s most prominent opponents, remain in prison since 2023.
The journalist’s union claims that Boughalleb’s imprisonment was aimed at silencing journalists’ voices.
Tunisia’s press freedom has been a key gain since the 2011 revolution, but politicians, journalists, and unions say it now faces a serious threat under Saied’s rule.
The president has seized extra powers, shut down the elected parliament, and moved to rule by decree, sparking concerns about democracy and human rights in the country.
