Several dozen protesters gathered in Tunis on Friday to defend press freedom and in support of the famous Franco-Tunisian columnist Mourad Zeghidi, who has been in detention since 2024.

The appeal trial of Mr. Zeghidi, former sports commentator on Canal +, and his colleague Borhen Bsaies, for accusations of "money laundering" and "tax evasion" is due to resume next Tuesday.

In the first instance in January, they were sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

"Freedom for the Tunisian press", "innocent people are in prison", chanted the demonstrators, who were waving "Free independent press" signs.

"Journalism is in danger," declared Zied Dabbar, president of the Tunisian Journalists' Union (SNJT). He specifically mentioned the risk of the dissolution of an association that publishes the news website Inkyfada during a court hearing on May 11. "It's a media outlet that's causing a stir, that's why the authorities want to shut it down," he told AFP.

Hamma Hammami, a prominent figure on the left, stated that "the objective is clear: to kill political and civic life in Tunisia in order to establish an authoritarian regime." "Fascism is invading the country and devouring everything in its path: politicians, trade unionists, journalists, human rights activists," added the former political prisoner under the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Messrs. Zeghidi and Bsaies were detained in May 2024 for statements considered critical of the power of President Kais Saied, in radio and television broadcasts and on social media.

Sentenced to one year in prison under a presidential decree-law officially aimed at combating "false information", but subject to a very broad interpretation denounced by human rights defenders, they had their sentence reduced to eight months on appeal.

They should have been released in January 2025 but remained imprisoned after the start of proceedings for "money laundering" and "tax evasion", wrongdoings contested by their lawyers who only mention incomplete tax deflations.

National and international NGOs regularly denounce a "regression" of rights and freedoms in Tunisia since President Saied's power grab in July 2021, by which he granted himself full powers.