Tunisian Court Sentences Journalist Boukrim to Four Years in Absentia
A Tunisian court sentenced prominent journalist Khaoula Boukrim to four years in prison in absentia under a cybercrime law, with the ruling issued while she was in exile in Paris. The sentencing is part of a broader pattern of prosecutions against journalists and critics under President Kais Saied's rule since he dissolved parliament in 2021. Rights groups view the case as evidence of deteriorating press freedom and democratic safeguards in Tunisia.
Journalist Khaoula Boukrim, founder of the news website TUMEDIA, was sentenced to four years in prison by a Tunisian court in absentia on charges related to online publications under Decree-Law 54, a 2022 cybercrime law. Boukrim fled to Paris in December after learning of legal cases being prepared against her for her critical positions toward President Kais Saied. The sentencing follows the imprisonment of several other media figures earlier in the year, including Zied Heni, Mourad Zghidi, and Borhen Bsaies. Rights groups argue that Decree-Law 54 has been increasingly weaponized against government critics and independent journalists, while authorities contend it is necessary to combat misinformation and online abuse. The case reflects wider concerns about democratic backsliding since Saied dissolved the elected parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree, dismantling safeguards that had protected press freedom following Tunisia's 2011 uprising.
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Tunisian court sentences prominent journalist Boukrim in absentia to four years
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