Mourad Zeghidi and Borhen Bsaies, already detained for nearly two years over commentary against Saied’s government, convicted on money laundering and tax evasion charges amid press freedom decline.
TUNIS — A Tunisian court sentenced two prominent columnists to three and a half years in prison each on Thursday, convicting them of money laundering and tax evasion in a case widely seen as part of a continuing crackdown on dissent under President Kais Saied.
Mourad Zeghidi and Borhen Bsaies have already spent nearly two years in detention over statements critical of the government made across broadcast and social media. They had been scheduled for release in January 2025, but were kept in custody as new financial charges were brought against them.
“Three and a half years for Mourad and Borhen,” Zeghidi’s sister, Meriem Zeghidi Adda, confirmed in a social media post following the verdict.
The prosecution of the two commentators reflects a broader pattern of legal action against journalists, opposition figures, and activists since Saied’s consolidation of power in July 2021. Rights groups have repeatedly warned of a sharp decline in freedoms in what was once considered the sole democratic success story of the Arab Spring.
Dozens of critics have been prosecuted under a presidential decree ostensibly targeting “fake news,” a law human rights organizations say is applied broadly to silence dissent. Others, including opposition leaders, have received lengthy sentences in a mass trial alleging “conspiracy against state security.”
The climate for media freedom has deteriorated significantly. In 2025, Tunisia dropped 11 places in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, now ranking 129th out of 180 countries.
The convictions of Zeghidi and Bsaies underline growing international concern over the direction of Tunisia’s post-revolution trajectory, where legal mechanisms are increasingly used to target voices challenging the president’s authority.
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