Tunisian journalist Mohamed Yousfi, well-known for his criticism of President Kais Saied’s government, was arrested on September 4, 2026, and placed in detention amid an investigation into alleged financial crimes.
Police arrested Yousfi, the editor-in-chief of the independent investigative news website Al-Katiba, as he was preparing to enter the private radio station Express FM, where he was scheduled to appear on a talk show to discuss Tunisia’s ongoing water crisis.
Police then took him to a financial crimes unit, where authorities questioned him about his work at Al-Katiba, his Facebook posts, and alleged financial offenses, according to a statement from National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), which noted that Yousfi was targeted by what they described as an online smear and incitement campaign in the weeks prior.
An investigating judge ordered his pretrial detention pending investigation into allegations of illicit enrichment and money laundering for an organized group or association, which Yousfi’s lawyers denied, Ziad Debbar, the president of the SNJT, told CPJ via messaging app..
According to Debbar, on the day of his arrest, Yousfi fell ill and was transferred to a hospital, where he underwent a surgery to remove his appendix. As of September 7, he remained hospitalized and had not been permitted to receive visitors, Zebbar told CPJ.
CPJ’s email to the Tunisian authorities requesting comment did not receive a response.