By Ongaga Ongaga
The African Editors’ Forum (TAEF) has condemned the arrest and detention of veteran Tunisian journalist Zied El Heni, calling for his immediate release.
According to reports, the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of First Instance in Tunis authorized the Cybercrime Brigade in El Aouina to place El Heni in custody on Friday, April 24.
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The move followed a summons he received over a post shared on his official Facebook account.
TAEF described El Heni as a respected journalist with a long-standing reputation for defending public discourse and media freedom.
His detention, the forum said, represents a troubling escalation in the misuse of cybercrime legislation to silence journalistic voices.
“Expressing an opinion on social platforms is a fundamental right, not a criminal act,” the statement read.
It warned that deploying the Fifth Central Brigade for Combating Information and Communication Technology Crimes against a journalist for a social media post sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom in Tunisia and across the region.
TAEF urged African media stakeholders and international human rights organizations to unite in defense of El Heni.
“The Tunisian authorities must respect the principles of free speech and the protections afforded to journalists. They must release Zied immediately,” said Churchill Otieno, President of TAEF.
The forum pledged to continue monitoring the situation and to advocate for the protection of journalists across the continent.
