Tunisia arrests journalist Mohamed Yousfi amid crackdown on critics

Tunisian police arrested prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi, an outspoken critic of President Kais Saied, on September 4. Yousfi was preparing to enter Express FM Radio for a radio program when he was taken in by police, who told the presenter that he would be questioned without giving a reason. The judge later ordered Yousfi's detention on charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering, citing a judicial source. Critics say this is an attempt to stifle dissenting voices, with the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) labeling it an attack not just on Yousfi but also on all journalists' right to practice their profession. This arrest comes amid a string of prosecutions of media figures and activists in Tunisia this year, including Khaoula Boukrim, who was sentenced to four years in absentia in June. Prominent journalist Zied el-Heni was sentenced to one year in prison in May, while broadcaster Mourad Zeghidi and political commentator Borhen Bsaies were each sentenced to three and a half years in January.