Journalist Zied El Heni has been taken into custody, the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) announced on Thursday evening.
The public prosecutor at the Tunis Court of First Instance decided to keep El Heni in custody on charges of “insulting the Minister of Trade” after he was questioned by a National Guard Brigade in El Aouina.
“The prosecutor did not take into account the basic procedures guaranteed by the Constitution of July 25, 2022. This is a violation of freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” the SNJT said in a statement.
The journalist, Zied El Heni, was detained following comments he made on IFM radio criticising the Minister of Trade.
The SNJT condemned El Heni’s arrest, describing it as a violation of prerogatives by the public prosecutor.
The union said “according to Article 69 of the Tunisian Constitution, no legal action can be taken against anyone unless the aggrieved party in question files a complaint”.
The SNJT rejected the continued «prosecution» of Zied El Heni,
which is “aimed at silencing his critical voice”, and called on the public prosecutor to release him immediately.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse