Journalist Mohamed Boughaleb was sentenced on Thursday July 10, 2025, to two years in prison by the criminal chamber No. 44 of the Tunis court of first instance. The decision was made under article 24 of Decree-law n ° 54 relating to the fight against infringements to information and communication systems.
The conviction follows a complaint filed by a university teacher, in connection with a publication deemed defamatory. According to the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), the results of an expert test would have established that the journalist was not the author of the publication concerned.
In a statement published this Friday, the SNJT expressed its concern in the face of this decision, while recalling its opposition to the use of prison sentences in opinion cases. The union calls for the suspension of the application of the decree-law n ° 54, currently under discussion in the Assembly for a possible revision, in particular of its article 24.
The SNJT also evokes a tendency to judicialization of affairs related to freedom of expression and reiterates its support for journalists facing legal proceedings.
Recall that Mohamed Boughalleb was arrested on March 22, 2024, to be prosecuted under article 24 of decree 54 following a complaint filed on April 5 by a university teacher. Journalist Mohamed Boughalleb was released on February 20, 2025. He appeared on June 23, 2025 before the criminal chamber of the Tunis court of first instance, before being sentenced yesterday to two years in prison.
In another case, he was sentenced on appeal in June 2024 to eight months in prison by the criminal chamber of the Tunis Court of Appeal. He had been judged on the basis of decree 54 following a complaint filed by an official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs against the background of his comments on radio and television on visits abroad and the policies of the ministry.
