Tunisian journalists rallied near government offices on Thursday to protest mounting restrictions on the media, calling for the release of detained colleagues and vowing that increasing repression will not silence the press. The demonstration reflects growing alarm over what many see as the gravest threat to free expression since President Kais Saied consolidated power in 2021.
Tunisia had experienced an unprecedented expansion of free speech after the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and ignited the Arab Spring. Saied has repeatedly denied undermining press freedoms, but critics argue that his 2021 power grab—and a series of sweeping decrees that followed—have weakened democratic safeguards and given authorities broad leeway to pursue journalists over ambiguous or ill-defined offences.
The Tunisian Journalists’ Syndicate (SNJT) warned that the government’s tightening grip aims to muzzle independent voices and bring the media under political control. Freelance journalist Nourredine Ahmed described a near-paralysis of reporting: “There is a systematic killing of journalism. We cannot cover government or parliament activities, nor events in the streets.” Others echoed that assessment, including Mosaique Radio reporter Amira Mohamed, who called the situation “very bleak,” noting that dozens of journalists face prosecution while others remain behind bars.
Reporters say they have been denied their 2025 press cards, and foreign correspondents report that filming permits have been suspended—leaving them exposed to police interference and prolonged detentions. According to the SNJT, public broadcasters, including state television and radio, have effectively become mouthpieces for the Saied administration. At least five journalists are currently imprisoned, and several more are under investigation for social media posts or critical reporting.
Justice Minister Laila Jaffal insisted this week that none of the cases involve freedom-of-expression violations, asserting that prosecutions concern defamation rather than journalism. Yet independent media advocates see a pattern of intimidation. Their fears intensified last month when authorities suspended Nawaat, a prominent investigative media group long regarded as a pillar of independent journalism in Tunisia.
