TUNISIA: PROMINENT JOURNALIST UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED

Your Excellency,

I am concerned about the arbitrary arrest, unjust conviction, and imprisonment of prominent journalist, Zied El Heni, for comments protected under the right to freedom of expression. On May 7, 2026, Zied El Heni was sentenced to one year in prison under Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code. The prosecution was based on remarks Zied El Heni made during a university seminar in which he criticized the judicial handling of the case of imprisoned journalist, Khalifa Guesmi. He later published a recording of the seminar on the website and YouTube channel of his independent media outlet, Tunisian Press, and shared it on his personal social media accounts. He was arrested on April 24, 2026, and held in pretrial detention. His prosecution and imprisonment stem solely from the exercise of his right to freedom of expression.

The imprisonment of journalists for their opinions or reporting violates Tunisia’s obligations under international and regional human rights law, including Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has affirmed that imprisonment for defamation and other forms of peaceful expression is a disproportionate restriction on this right and has called on states to repeal laws that criminalize legitimate journalistic activity and criticism of public officials.

I urge you to ensure that Zied El Heni is immediately and unconditionally released and that his conviction is quashed. I also call on the Tunisian authorities to end the use of criminal laws, including Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code, to prosecute journalists and other individuals simply for expressing their views.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]