A Tunisian court has sentenced jailed independent journalist Zied el-Heni to four years in prison on terrorism charges, according to his lawyer.
Mr Heni, a vocal critic of President Kais Saied, was handed the sentence on Tuesday in a case linked to leaked audio recordings attributed to Mondher Ounissi, a former interim leader of the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha opposition movement.
Defence lawyer Yasmine Ben Brahim said the charges against Mr Heni included “forming a terrorist group” and “failing to report a terrorist crime.”
Mr Heni had initially been questioned as a witness after reporting on the leaked recordings, but was later prosecuted in the case.
Mr Ounissi was also sentenced to nine years in prison in the same case, although the contents of the recordings were not immediately clear. Other defendants were sentenced to 25 years in prison in absentia, according to the defence lawyer.
Heni already serving prison sentence
The latest sentence comes months after Mr Heni was sentenced to one year in prison in a separate case over remarks concerning press freedom in Tunisia.
His imprisonment adds to growing concerns over the treatment of journalists and government critics under President Saied, who has faced criticism over the detention and prosecution of opposition figures and media professionals.
Many members of Ennahdha have been jailed or fled Tunisia since Mr Saied carried out a sweeping power grab in 2021.
The party’s 85-year-old leader, Rached Ghannouchi, has been in prison since 2023 after being convicted in a case involving alleged plotting against the state.
Critics raise concerns over press freedom
Mr Heni is among several Tunisian journalists currently behind bars, as rights groups and press freedom organisations continue to raise concerns over what they describe as increasing pressure on independent media.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has previously identified Mr Heni, Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaies among journalists imprisoned in Tunisia, while other journalists have remained outside prison despite receiving custodial sentences.
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