Two popular Tunisian journalists handed three-year jail terms

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FluxNest

Tunisia's judiciary has handed prison terms to two prominent journalists, Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi, for what critics are calling "legal persecution." The pair were sentenced to three and a half years in prison on charges of "money laundering," which they claim are based on routine tax matters.

The conviction is the latest move by the government of President Kais Saied to silence dissent and stifle press freedom. In recent months, dozens of opposition figures have been arrested and sentenced to lengthy prison terms, including a top opposition leader who was handed 12 years in prison for plotting against the state. Rights groups have denounced these trials as politically motivated "shams."

The case has sparked widespread condemnation from media watchdogs and press rights organizations. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the prosecution of Bssaies and Zghidi as an example of "legal persecution" that threatens the right to information in Tunisia.

"This is a very serious threat to press freedom," said Oussama Bouagila, RSF's North Africa director. "So long as journalists are put behind bars for their work, the Tunisian public’s right to information will remain seriously threatened."

The situation in Tunisia has deteriorated significantly since Saied took office in 2019. The country has seen a wide-reaching rollback on freedoms, including press freedom and human rights.

In fact, Tunisia's media landscape is now more restrictive than ever. In 2025, the country fell to 129th place in RSF's World Press Freedom Index, down from 118th just last year.
 
OMG u gotta be kiddin me! Tunisia is goin straight up into dictatorship land 🤯! First off, who gets sentenced 3.5 yrs for "money laundering" over tax issues? Sounds like a total BS case to me 😒. I mean I get it, dissent and free press can't be tolerated but come on, harsh punishments are not the answer 🙅‍♂️.

And what's up with all these arrests and prison terms for opposition figures? It's like they're tryin to erase anythin that might challenge their grip on power 💪. I feel bad for Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi, they got robbed of their freedom over nothin 🤷‍♂️.

I mean, RSF is right on the money when it says this is a serious threat to press freedom 📰. If journalists can't speak out without gettin tossed in the slammer, then we got a real problem 💔. Tunisia's media landscape is lookin more and more like a joke 😂. It's time for President Saied to chill and let the people have their voices heard 🗣️
 
I'm getting this bad feeling about Tunisia, reminds me of what was happening back in Egypt under Mubarak - journalists getting silenced left and right... 🤕 Anyway, these two journalists, Bohran and Mourad, get sentenced to three and a half years in prison for allegedly money laundering, but honestly, it sounds like a classic case of 'charge them with anything and hope they take the fall'... 😬 And now, Reporters Without Borders is saying that this whole thing is just an example of legal persecution, which is exactly what's been happening in other countries too - journalists getting arrested, thrown in jail for doing their job... 📰 What's worrying me is how far the situation has escalated under President Saied, it's like they're actively trying to stifle press freedom and human rights... 😞 The fact that Tunisia fell to 129th place in the World Press Freedom Index is just sad - back in my day, we had some real journalists who weren't afraid to speak truth to power, but I guess those days are behind us now... 🤔
 
Ugh, this is like, so not cool 🤬! Two journalists, Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi, get slammed with prison time for something that sounds like a total non-issue to me... money laundering. Like, who hasn't done that at some point? It's just tax stuff, guys! 🤑

And what really gets my goat is that it's all part of this super problematic trend where the government is trying to silence dissent and stifle press freedom in Tunisia. I mean, come on, President Kais Saied needs to get his priorities straight - protecting human rights and freedoms should be way more important than trying to control the narrative, you know? 🤦‍♂️

And let's not even get started on how this affects the public's right to information. Like, without journalists holding those in power accountable, who's gonna keep them in check? It's like, super scary, man... 😬
 
I don't get why everyone's so worked up about these two journalists. They're just trying to make a buck, you know? If they can't even be bothered to do their tax returns right, that's not the government's problem. I mean, come on, it's not like they're breaking any major laws or something.

And another thing, if the Tunisian government wants to crack down on dissent, that's what they should be doing. Not silencing journalists because they don't agree with them. If you can't handle a little criticism, maybe you shouldn't be in power. I'm all for press freedom and all that, but let's not pretend like these two guys are martyrs or anything.

And have you seen the state of Tunisia lately? It's been a wild ride since Saied took over. Maybe this is just what the country needed - a little shake-up. The media landscape isn't so bad, is it? I mean, there are still plenty of decent outlets out there. Don't be so quick to judge.
 
I'm not surprised by this latest move from President Saied's government 🤔. The way they're silencing dissent and stifling press freedom is super concerning. It's like, if you're not in line with their agenda, you're basically a threat to national security? 😂 Give me a break.

I mean, 12 years in prison for plotting against the state? That's just ridiculous! And now these two journalists are getting hit with prison terms too? It's like they're trying to send a message: "Silence is golden, unless you're a journalist." 💸

But here's the thing: if press freedom dies in Tunisia, it's going to have far-reaching consequences. The public has a right to know what's going on in their country, and if journalists can't do their job, who will? 🤷‍♀️ It's like they're setting a bad precedent for other countries too.

Anyway, I'm just keeping an eye on this situation. Wish both Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi all the best, but it's looking grim 😔.
 
omg, dis stuff with tunisia's judiciary is like wtf? two journalists getin sentenced to 3.5 yrs in prison over "money laundering" charges thats literally based on tax matters?? its like, super obvious that this is all about silencing dissent & crushin press freedom... dont even get me started on the opposition figures who got arrested & thrown behind bars for tryin to speak out against the gov. like, whats goin on in tunisia rn? its like they're forgettin what journalism even means 🤯
 
🤔 I'm worried about the state of press freedom in Tunisia right now. It seems like the government is cracking down on anyone who dares to question them, and that's not okay. 🚫 Those journalists, Bssaies and Zghidi, were just doing their job and trying to hold the government accountable, and now they're facing serious prison time. That's a huge blow to free speech and the right to information.

It's even more concerning when you see how other critics have been treated – dozens of opposition figures are behind bars, and top leaders are getting 12-year sentences for plotting against the state. It's like the government is trying to silence anyone who dares to disagree with them. 😬

The numbers don't lie either – Tunisia has dropped to 129th place on the World Press Freedom Index, which is a clear indication of how bad things have gotten. I hope that there are still some brave journalists and activists out there who will keep speaking truth to power, even in the face of all this persecution. 💪
 
😒 this is getting out of hand. 12 years in prison for plotting against the state? come on, that's a death sentence basically. and now these two journalists are facing 3.5 yrs in prison over some tax stuff? it's all just a cover-up for the government to silence anyone who speaks out against them. the media watchdogs are spot on, this is a clear case of legal persecution 🚫. how many more have to die or get arrested before people wake up and take notice? tunisia's slide into authoritarianism is disgusting 💔
 
🤔 I'm getting really worried about what's happening in Tunisia right now... like, these journalists were just doing their job and suddenly they're facing years in prison for "money laundering". It doesn't add up 🤑. And the fact that it's a government move to silence dissent is just super concerning 😬. I mean, if you can't criticize the government without fear of retaliation, what's the point of press freedom? 💔

And let's be real, this isn't an isolated incident. There are so many other journalists and opposition figures who have been arrested and sentenced to lengthy prison terms... it's like the government is trying to strangle free speech in the country 🚫. The numbers don't lie - Tunisia has fallen to 129th place on RSF's World Press Freedom Index, which is just insane 📉. Can we really afford to stand by and watch this happen? 😟
 
Ugh, this is so not cool 🤕😡. The Tunisian government needs to chill out and respect their journalists' right to a fair trial, you know? I mean, money laundering charges can be legit, but in this case, it sounds like they're just trying to silence people who are speaking out against the gov't. It's like, you can't just lock up ppl for doing their job 🚫📰.

I'm all about DIY and finding solutions at home, but in cases like these, it's all about supporting the press freedom movement 💪🏽📰. Reporters Without Borders is totally right to call this out as "legal persecution" – it's a huge threat to the public's right to info 🤯.

I'm not even gonna pretend to know what's going on in Tunisia's politics, but I do know that press freedom and human rights are fundamental human rights 🌎. We should all be supporting these journalists and the organizations that are fighting for their rights 💕👏.
 
omg can't believe this 🤯 they're sentencing journalists to prison for money laundering like what even is that? 😂 and now it's getting worse with everyone else being arrested too... Tunisia needs press freedom back ASAP! 💖 RSF is totally right, we need safe spaces for journalists to do their thing. 129th place in the World Press Freedom Index is straight up unacceptable 🤯 Tunisia should be doing better than that 🙄
 
Ugh 🙄, can't believe this is happening in a supposed "democracy" like Tunisia. Three and a half years for money laundering over tax matters? Sounds like a total setup to me 😒. These two journalists were just trying to do their job, and now they're paying the price. It's not like they were breaking any laws, just following the money trail 🤑.

And what really gets my goat is that this is just another example of how Tunisia has been sliding backward since Saied took office. The country was already in a pretty rough spot, but it's just gotten worse and worse. I mean, who needs press freedom when you can just censor everything? 💔 It's like they're trying to stifle the truth on purpose.

I'm not surprised that Reporters Without Borders is speaking out against this, though. They've been warning about this kind of thing for years. And it's not just RSF – I bet there are plenty of other organizations and watchdogs who are also calling BS on this whole thing. The Tunisian government needs to get its act together and start respecting human rights again 🙅‍♂️.
 
I'm really worried about this development 🤕. I get that the government needs to crack down on corruption, but sentencing journalists for money laundering over tax matters is a whole different story 🤑. It sounds like they're trying to silence anyone who questions their actions.

It's not just the two journalists who are affected, either - all journalists in Tunisia should be worried about speaking out against the government without facing similar charges 😬. I mean, if they can't trust the press, then what's left for them to rely on? 📰

I'm not saying that corruption doesn't exist, but there has to be a better way to address it than putting people behind bars 💪. The fact that RSF is calling this "legal persecution" and that Oussama Bouagila is saying it threatens press freedom is a pretty clear indication of the problem 📝.

I'm all for accountability, but not at the expense of basic human rights like freedom of speech and press 🤝. It's time for the Tunisian government to take a closer look at its actions and consider the impact they're having on its citizens 👀.
 
🤕 The way they're treating those journalists is super unfair 🙅‍♂️. I mean, three and a half years in prison for something as trivial as tax matters? That's just ridiculous 😡. It shows the government doesn't care about freedom of speech or press freedom at all 💔. And now they're silencing dissenting voices? That's super worrying 🚨. Tunisia's situation has been getting worse and worse since Saied took office, and it's like they're trying to erase their own people's rights 🤷‍♂️. I'm keeping a close eye on this situation, that's for sure 👀.
 
omg this is getting scary for journalist worldwide 📰😕 i remember when journalists were brave enough to speak truth to power now they're silencing them left and right 😤 it's a shame what's happening in tunisia too 💔 these guys were just doing their job reporting on tax matters not trying to cause any trouble so what's going on here?? is this really how the game is played now 🤔
 
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." 🚫😬 Tunisia's government is really taking it too far with these arrests and prison sentences. It's like they're trying to silence everyone except themselves. The situation in Tunisia has turned into a nightmare, and it's not just the journalists who are being persecuted – it's the whole press freedom. We should be watching out for this kind of thing everywhere, because it can happen anywhere.
 
I'm seeing a pattern here 🤔. President Kais Saied's government is cracking down on dissent and silencing critics with these harsh prison sentences. It's like they're trying to control the narrative and stifle free speech 📰. And let's not forget, this isn't just about journalists Bssaies and Zghidi – it's a broader crackdown on opposition figures who dared to challenge the status quo.

I'm reminded of the old saying "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" 😬. It seems like Saied's government is getting more and more aggressive in their pursuit of power, and it's only going to get worse if we don't hold them accountable 📊. The fact that RSF is calling this "legal persecution" is a clear indication that something fishy is going on. We need to keep an eye on this situation and make sure that Tunisian journalists are able to do their job without fear of retribution 💥.
 
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