Tunisia Releases Mohamed Boughalleb, Journalist Held Under ‘False Information’ Decree
On Thursday, February 20, 2024, a Tunisian court ordered the release of Mohamed Boughalleb, a journalist and media figure who had been detained under a presidential decree that purports to combat "false information." The release follows the freeing of Sihem Bensedrine, one of Tunisia’s most prominent human rights activists.
Boughalleb’s defense attorney, Hamadi Zaafrani, informed Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the criminal court within the court of first instance had granted the request to release the journalist. However, Boughalleb remains charged under Decree-Law 54. He is prohibited from leaving the country, and his trial has been postponed to April 21.
Concerns had been raised about Boughalleb’s health, as he suffers from diabetes and hypertension. In late January, Bassem Trifi, the president of the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH), named Boughalleb among detainees in "a serious state of health."
Boughalleb is known for his critical coverage of the political class and President Kais Saied, as well as his investigative work on corruption cases. Imprisoned since March 22, 2024, he was sentenced a month later to six months in prison, a sentence that was increased to eight months on appeal, for allegedly harming the honor and reputation of a department head within the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
In a Facebook post and on a private radio station, Boughalleb had questioned the rationale behind this official’s foreign trips with the Minister of Religious Affairs.
According to data from the LTDH in late January, "approximately 400 people are being prosecuted" under the decree, including opposition figures, journalists, lawyers, bloggers, and citizens. The decree was enacted by President Saied in September 2022 to address the spread of "false information," but its broad interpretation by the judiciary has drawn criticism from rights advocates.
NGOs and independent members of parliament called in late January for the decree to be revised or repealed, denouncing its use to silence critical voices. In a statement posted on social media, the National Union of Tunisian Journalists described Boughalleb’s release as "another blow to Decree 54, which has proven to be a weapon of persecution against opinion leaders and journalists."
Since President Saied, who was democratically elected in October 2019, seized full powers in a power grab in July 2021, Tunisian and international NGOs have expressed concern about a decline in rights in the country.
