Zied el-Heni, Tunisian journalist and editor-in-chief of the now defunct independent news site Tunisian Press, is serving a one-year prison sentence under Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code. His conviction stems from an April 24, 2026, arrest sparked by a social media post that criticized the prosecution of journalist Khalifa Guesmi, who was jailed for over three years.
Beyond this conviction, El-Heni faces two other separate legal cases, including four terrorism-related charges. That specific trial is set to start on September 25, 2026, and his defense team and family warn it could carry a penalty for life imprisonment.
On April 23, 2026, El-Heni announced on Facebook that he had received a summons to appear the following morning at the Fifth Central Unit for Combating Information and Communication Technology Crime in the El-Aouina neighborhood of the capital, Tunis.
El-Heni was placed in pretrial detention on April 26, 2026. He began a hunger strike that lasted two days before his lawyers convinced him to stop for health reasons, a local journalist told CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. His trial began on April 30, and on May 7 the Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced him to one year in prison after convicting him of “harming others” under Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code. On June 26, the Tunis Court of Appeal upheld the one-year sentence.
El-Heni also faces four terrorism-related charges in connection to his reporting on a 2023 leaked audio recording attributed to former Ennahda official Mondher Lounissi and journalist Chahrazed Akacha. First published on Facebook on September 2, 2023, the recording reportedly detailed a conversation between Lounissi and Akacha regarding internal divisions within Ennahda, its leadership, and other political matters.
El-Heni said on Radio IFM program “Émission Impossible” that he had contacted individuals involved in the recording to verify its authenticity and cross-check the information before reporting on it. Authorities initially summoned El-Heni as a witness in the case in March 2024, but his status was subsequently changed to that of a suspect. He now faces four terrorism-related charges and if convicted, he risks a life sentence. El-Heni’s defense maintained that his involvement was limited to routine journalistic verification. Furthermore, he refused to disclose his sources during the investigation, according to a statement given to CPJ by his daughter, Ithar el-Heni.
El-Heni is scheduled to appear before the criminal chamber specializing in terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance on September 25, 2026. His family was not formally notified that the journalist had become a suspect in the case and learned about it and the new hearing date through media reports, according to his daughter.
El-Heni also faces charges related to his previous role as a member of the temporary municipal council that administered Carthage municipality. On June 10, 2026, while he was already imprisoned, the indictment chamber of the Tunis Court of Appeal issued detention orders against him and three other former council members in connection with allegations of financial and administrative corruption.
The case stems from a December 2022 complaint over the municipality’s sale of a plot of land in Carthage neighborhood in Tunis to a private individual allegedly for less than its market value. El-Heni and his co-defendants face a range of charges, including abuse of public office for undue benefit, inflicting harm on the administration, violating regulatory frameworks, forgery, and the use of forged documents. El-Heni’s daughter told CPJ that the family and lawyers believe the case is being used to discredit him and damage his reputation and credibility as a journalist. She said the first hearing is scheduled for October 2, 2026.
El-Heni has faced repeated judicial action and detention in recent years, often linked to his public commentary. In 2023, he was arrested twice over his political commentary on the radio show “Émission Impossible”. On June 20, 2023, he was detained for two nights for allegedly insulting President Kais Saied, and on December 28, 2023, he was re-arrested for criticizing then-Minister of Commerce Kalthoum Ben Rejeb.
El-Heni was released on January 10, 2024, and handed a six-month suspended prison sentence. His daughter Ithar told CPJ that she fears El-Heni could be required to serve the suspended six-month sentence after completing his current prison term because of his subsequent conviction.
El-Heni is being held in Mornaguia prison in Tunis, and his detention comes amid a broader pattern of increasing legal action against journalists, bloggers, and commentators in Tunisia, particularly over digital content.
The Tunisian presidency of the government did not respond to CPJ’s email requesting comment on El-Heni’s case.