Ghassen Ben Khalifa, editor-in-chief of the local independent news outlet Inhiyez, was sentenced on March 30, 2026, by the Tunis Court of First Instance to two years in prison after being convicted on cybercrime Decree Law 54 of publishing false news and harming public security. The case stems from allegations that he was the admin of a Facebook page accused of disseminating terrorist content.
Ben Khalifa is currently free but remains at risk of arrest at any time to serve out his sentence.
Previously on September 6, 2022, Ben Khalifa was detained by security forces at his home in Tunis, where they confiscated his electronic devices, and accused him of terrorism-related offenses without publicly disclosing clear evidence. He was held for five days before being released pending investigation.
In a Facebook statement, Ben Khalifa stated that the March 2026 sentence is tied to this same case, which has been ongoing for more than three years. Authorities claim a link between the page, and an IP address associated with Ben Khalifa’s phone number, which they have failed to provide evidence for, despite the court requesting clarification. A co-defendant reportedly admitted to being the sole administrator of the page.
In another statement, the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), condemned the sentence against Ben Khalifa, calling it a “systemic targeting of critical voices,” adding that no technical evidence was found linking the journalist to the page, including on Ben Khalifa’s devices that were confiscated during his September 2022 arrest.
Ben Khalifa is also a human rights advocate and writes about similar issues on his Facebook page, where he has about 20,000 followers.
CPJ’s email to Tunisian authorities requesting comment on Ben Khalifa’s case did not receive any reply.