As an appeal hearing approaches, the exact date of which is still awaited, Tunisian-French journalist Mourad Zeghidi and his Tunisian colleague Borhen Bsaies, respectively commentator and host of “L’Émission impossible” on Radio IFM, have remained in custody since their arrest on 11 May 2024. On 22 January 2026, a court sentenced them to an additional three and a half years in prison. The two journalists had already served an eight-month prison sentence for “spreading false news” and “false statements intended to defame” under Decree-Law 54. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which is advocating for reform of this legislation, denounces these baseless accusations and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the two media professionals.
“Twenty-two months in detention, and there is still no evidence. A journalist’s place is not behind bars but in newsrooms, providing quality information which ultimately remains the best defence against the disinformation that is currently poisoning the public sphere. RSF calls for the immediate and unconditional release of journalists Mourad Zeghidi and Borhen Bsaies, who have been sentenced to an additional three and a half years in prison on entirely unfounded charges of ‘money laundering’ and ‘tax evasion’, after simply reporting on the political news of their country.”
Accused of “spreading false news” and “false statements intended to defame others,” Mourad Zeghidi and Borhen Bsaies were first sentenced on appeal in July 2024 to eight months in prison under Decree Law 54 following their media appearances. As a result, “L’Émission impossible” on Radio IFM — one of the most widely followed programmes in the country — was permanently discontinued. The only charge retained against Mourad Zeghidi was a Facebook post expressing solidarity with an imprisoned colleague. As they were about to regain their freedom, new detention orders were issued in December 2024 for money laundering and tax evasion.
According to the defence, investigations conducted for over a year with the Central Bank, Interpol, and European authorities revealed no suspicious financial flows, hidden assets, or questionable transactions. Mourad Zeghidi himself had requested a tax settlement in January 2025, clear evidence of his good faith. The defence maintains that the case rests merely on minor tax irregularities that could have been addressed while the journalists were free. Nevertheless, the prosecution appealed to increase the sentence. In the absence of any conclusive evidence, this conviction remains inexplicable except for political motives.
Consequences beyond imprisonment
The confiscation of 80,000 Tunisian dinars (approximately €23,500) belonging to Borhen Bsaies, the seizure of funds raised by Mourad Zeghidi’s family to settle his tax debts, and the transfer of their company shares to the state treasury have severely compromised their long-term professional and economic situation. “Our lives stopped on 11 May,” said one of Mourad Zeghidi’s daughters. In an open letter, Borhen Bsaies described the sentence as giving “the impression that punishment has become continuous, and that its end is constantly postponed rather than clearly defined.”
Decree-Law 54: a tool for repressing journalists
The case of Mourad Zeghidi and Borhen Bsaies is the most emblematic example of the use of Decree Law 54 as a tool of repression: initially convicted under it simply for doing their jobs, their case was later aggravated with an additional three and a half years in prison for money laundering and tax evasion. This demonstrates that Decree-Law 54 does not merely criminalise journalism; it also opens the door to a broader repressive apparatus that stifles press freedom in Tunisia.
Tunisia ranks 129th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published by RSF.
