Tunisia Arrest Al Jazeera Journalist, Sparks Fresh Concerns About Press Freedom

Tunisian police arrested Al Jazeera journalist Samir Sassi late Wednesday in a raid on his home, raising the alarm among press freedom advocates who see a growing crackdown on the media in the North African country.

News of the arrest was confirmed by Lotfi Hajji, director of Al Jazeera’s bureau in Tunis, who told AFP that Sassi’s computer, phone, and the phones of his family members were also seized. No reason for the arrest or Sassi’s current whereabouts were provided by authorities.

Al Jazeera’s bureau in Tunisia has been effectively shut down since President Kais Saied’s power grab in July 2021, though its journalists remained accredited and continued reporting. Saied offered no explanation for the bureau’s closure at the time.

This latest incident adds to a string of journalist arrests in Tunisia, drawing significant criticism from international organisations like the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). In an open letter to Saied on Thursday, the IFJ expressed “deepest concern” over the “frequent imprisonment of journalists,” highlighting the case of Zied El Heni, a prominent journalist arrested in December for criticising a government minister.

El Heni, who rose to prominence during the 2011 uprising that toppled Tunisia’s longtime dictator, remains in detention and faces trial on January 10. The IFJ views his case as “not an isolated one,” suggesting a pattern of using legal procedures to silence dissent and intimidate journalists.

Last summer, UN human rights chief Volker Turk voiced similar concerns about a “crackdown on media” in Tunisia, citing vaguely worded legislation that criminalises criticism. Currently, 17 journalists in Tunisia face trial, according to local media, often under Decree 54, which punishes “false news” with up to 10 years in prison.

“This legislation is being used to silence journalists and opponents of the president,” declared Anthony Bellanger, general secretary of the IFJ, this week, accusing the Tunisian government of “attacking journalists.”