Journalists Borhen Bsaies and Mourad Zeghidi will be heard again by Tunisian justice on November 20, 2025, the date set for the next hearing in the case between them and the public prosecutor, according to sources close to the case.
Arrested on May 11, 2024, the two journalists are being prosecuted in connection with a case combining accusations of money laundering and application of Decree-Law No. 54, a controversial text governing offenses linked to information and communication systems.
At the time of their arrest, Mohamed Zitouna, spokesperson for the Tunis court of first instance, declared that information considered serious had led the prosecution to open an investigation into alleged financial offenses, in particular for illicit enrichment through media activities considered suspicious.
Prolonged detention which is the subject of debate
For several months, the defense committee of the two defendants has contested the continued preventive detention, described as “legally unjustified”. According to their lawyers, all the investigative acts would have been finalized on June 1, 2024, i.e. at the end of the first legal period of detention.
The defense denounces an arbitrary extension and speaks of “judicial relentlessness”, believing that nothing justifies the continuation of incarceration in the absence of new elements in the case.
Towards a new legal episode
The holding of the hearing on November 20 will mark a new stage in this procedure with strong symbolic significance, which continues to fuel the debate on the use of Decree 54 against media figures.
The journalists’ relatives hope that this hearing will lead to a re-examination of their legal situation after more than a year and a half of detention.
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