Journalist Mohamed Boughalleb has been arbitrarily detained since his arrest by security forces on 22 March 2024 following a complaint by a senior official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The complaint was based on comments Mohamed Boughalleb’s made publicly on his social media page as well as on TV and radio shows, questioning spending by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to eight months in prison for defaming the official. He is also arbitrarily held in pre-trial detention in a separate case under Decree-Law 2022-54 on Cybercrimes, also in connection with his public comments. His heath has severely deteriorated during his detention, amid the failure of the authorities to grant him access to adequate healthcare. The Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Mohamed Boughalleb as he is detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression.
