Zied el-Heni, Tunisian journalist and editor-in-chief of now defunct independent news site Tunisian Press, is serving a four-year prison sentence on terrorism charges, and 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.
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 was also prosecuted on four terrorism-related charges in connection with 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 about internal divisions within Ennahda, its leadership, and other political matters.
El-Heni said on Radio IFM’s program “Émission Impossible” that he contacted individuals involved in the recording to verify its authenticity and cross-check the information before reporting on it. Authorities initially summoned him as a witness in March 2024, and questioned him about his journalistic sources before changing his status to that of a suspect. On October 27, 2026, a Tunis criminal court specializing in terrorism cases sentenced El-Heni to four years in prison after convicting him of forming a terrorist organization, disclosing secrets for the benefit of a terrorist organization, failing to report a terrorist crime, and communicating with agents of a foreign state to encourage them to harm Tunisia’s interests. El-Heni attended the October 27 hearing remotely from prison, and the SNJT said the verdict was issued without allowing his lawyers to present their arguments.
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.