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CPJ condemns Tunisia’s judicial harassment of Sonia Dahmani after fresh conviction  

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CPJ condemns Tunisia’s judicial harassment of Sonia Dahmani after fresh conviction  

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New York, May 25, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the continued judicial harassment of lawyer and media commentator Sonia Dahmani, amid escalating attacks on press freedom in Tunisia, including the obstruction of journalists covering public protests. The sustained targeting of journalists, commentators, and independent voices signals a dangerous deterioration of civic space and media freedom in the country.

Dahmani, who already spent 18 months in jail before she was released in November, was convicted on May 25 of “spreading false news likely to harm a public official,” under Tunisia’s cybercrime Decree Law 54  over comments she made in 2023 criticizing conditions in Tunisian prisons. She was sentenced to two years in prison but remains free pending an appeal filed by her lawyers on the ruling, which stemmed from a complaint by the Minister of Justice on behalf of the General Directorate of Prisons, according to her lawyer. 

Dahmani, recipient of CPJ’s 2025 International Press Freedom Award, has become emblematic of Tunisia’s growing repression of free expression. Tunisian authorities have brought five separate cases against her over her public commentary over the years. In April, she received a reduced 18-month prison sentence on appeal over remarks about the treatment of sub-Saharan migrants in the country.

CPJ has documented a broader pattern of repression in Tunisia under President Kais Saied, including the use of Decree-Law 54 to prosecute journalists and commentators. In recent months, authorities have handed down new sentences against journalists Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaies, while continuing to harass other critical voices through the courts, including journalist Ghassen Ben Khelifa, who was sentenced to two years in prison in March 2026.

Separately, according to a statement by the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), reporters and photojournalists were prevented on May 19 from covering a protest organized by the Tunisian Bar Association at the Tunis Court of First Instance. The union condemned the move as an unjustified restriction on press freedom and the public’s right to information.

CPJ calls on Tunisian authorities to:

·   Immediately end the prosecution and judicial harassment of Sonia Dahmani and all individuals targeted for peaceful expression

·   Release all journalists and commentators detained in connection with their work or speech, including Zied el-Heni, Mourad Zghidi, and Borhen Bsaies

·   Cease the misuse of Decree-Law 54 against journalists and uphold Tunisia’s press freedom protections under Decree-Law 115 and international human rights standards

CPJ’s email requesting comment from Tunisian authorities did not receive a reply.

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