The Tunisian judiciary placed prominent journalist Ziad El Hani in pretrial detention, on charges of insulting others via public networks, according to what his lawyer said Monday. Al-Hani's arrest came against the backdrop of his defense of sentenced journalists, and the judges who sentenced them described him as "criminals."

Published on: 04/28/2026 - 00:52 Last updated: 04/28/2026 - 13:52

The Tunisian judiciary imprisoned prominent journalist Ziad El Hani, after he appeared before the court on charges of “insulting others,” against the backdrop of his sharp criticism of judicial rulings issued against other journalists, according to what his lawyer revealed to Agence France-Presse on Monday.

Al-Hani's defense agent, lawyer Samir Dilo, revealed that his client's arrest came following the opening of an investigation into what he made during a symposium held at the beginning of last April at a law school in Tunisia.

Delo explained that Al-Hani was defending journalists against whom he described “unjust” convictions, using the term “criminals” against the judges who issued those rulings.

Al-Hani was arrested on Friday, and a prison ticket was issued on Sunday. He is known for his sharply critical stances on the policies of President Kais Saied.

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He was charged based on Chapter 86 of the Telecommunications Code, which punishes with imprisonment from one to two years “anyone who intentionally offends others or disturbs their comfort via public telecommunications networks.”

Lawyer Delo stated that the Court of First Instance in Tunis will hold a hearing to consider the case on April 30.

Ziad El Hani's name emerged especially through his active participation in January 2011 in the "democratic uprising" that led to the fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and marked the beginning of what was known as the Arab Spring in the region.

On April 13, Al-Hani announced on his Facebook page that he had filed an “abuse of authority lawsuit” against President Saeed before the Administrative Court.

The lawsuit called on the Administrative Court to oblige the President of the State to establish the Constitutional Court, and to activate the Supreme Judicial Council and the Audiovisual Communications Authority (HAICA).

This is not the first time that Al-Hani has appeared before the judiciary, as in 2024 he was issued a six-month suspended prison sentence on charges of “assaulting the person” of a former Minister of Commerce, following his demand for her dismissal on a radio program he was presenting.

In a broader context, local and international human rights organizations continue to condemn what they describe as a “regression” in the system of freedoms in Tunisia, since the exceptional measures taken by President Saied in July 2021.

France 24/AFP

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