[REVISION HISTORY]

Tunisian journalists' press freedom protests

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-23 22:02 UTC → 2026-10-10 16:17 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Journalists in Tunisia have begun organized actions to protest what the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) describes as the “systematic repression of the press.” On September 12, 2026, approximately 300 journalists held a solidarity event to support four colleagues currently imprisoned on various charges, including money laundering and “insulting others via public communication networks.” The SNJT announced plans for a forthcoming general strike to protest these developments. Following these events, the SNJT announced intentions to pursue legal action against individuals and social media entities involved in defamation and incitement campaigns. The syndicate reported documenting over 20 such campaigns since the start of 2026, citing attacks on privacy, professional credibility, and the spread of hate speech. On September 21, 2026, the SNJT declared a state of “media emergency” due to escalating tensions regarding press freedom and professional security. ~~The syndicate announced a one-day general strike, though the date is yet to be determined, ahead of its seventh congress in October.~~ Tensions have intensified following the detention of several journalists, including Mohamed El Yousfi, an arrest described by academics as a “breaking point for the sector.” Furthermore, the SNJT condemned the alleged targeting of the ‘Nawa News’ team, claiming journalists were lured to a location by an individual posing as a delivery worker before being intercepted by plainclothes security officers. The syndicate has called for an urgent judicial investigation into the incident and an administrative inquiry by the Ministry of Interior regarding alleged misconduct and verbal abuse during interrogation. In a A report released on September 23, 2026, ~~the SNJT monitoring unit~~ noted a decrease in attacks against media professionals during August 2026, with eight recorded aggressions compared to 22 in July. These incidents involved 17 victims and included harassment, arbitrary detention, censorship, and legal prosecution. In October 2026, the SNJT commenced its 7th congress in Tunis, scheduled to run through October 12. The event, which aims to elect a new executive bureau for the 2026-2029 term, takes place amid heightened sensitivity regarding the ongoing imprisonment of Mourad Zeghidi, Borhen Bsaies, Zied El Hani, and Mohamed Yousfi.

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