Police arrested prominent Tunisian journalist Mohamed al-Yousfi on Friday, September 4, 2026, according to Ziad Dabar, head of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists. Al-Yousfi has been a vocal critic of policies pursued by President Qais Saied. Dabar and other journalists said the arrest occurred as al-Yousfi was preparing to enter Express FM radio station to participate in a broadcast.
The arrest drew criticism from rights organizations including the journalists' union and Amnesty International. These groups have been scrutinizing Decree 54, which President Saied issued in 2022 to regulate offenses related to communications and information systems. The decree has been used as grounds for legal cases against journalists, lawyers and activists accused of spreading false information or defamation.
Rights groups including the journalists' union and Freedom Watch have also objected to financial crime cases filed against journalists and activists. Freedom Watch said the frequency of prosecutions—ranging from expression cases to financial lawsuits—reflects a troubling pattern of accumulating charges to extend prison time and drain journalists' resources through legal and professional harassment, thereby threatening press and opinion freedom.
Tunisian authorities say the cases represent equal application of the law to everyone without exception.
