Police in Sfax detained Boukhdhir, a well-known blogger and contributor to the London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi. He was charged with “aggression against a public employee” and “violation of public morality standards,” according to the journalist’s lawyer.
Boukhdhir was also charged under a 1993 national identity card law with “refusal to show his identification card to a public security agent.” On December 4, a court in the suburban city of Sakiet Ezzeit sentenced Boukhdhir to one year in prison.
Boukhdhir has staged several hunger strikes in recent years to protest government harassment and authorities’ refusal to grant him a passport. He was assaulted as he left an Internet café in Tunis in May, shortly after writing an online story critical of the first lady’s brother. Human rights groups condemned the arrest as politically motivated.