The facts
CPJ said the hearing took place remotely while el-Heni was in prison. Tunisia’s journalists’ union said his lawyers were prevented from presenting their arguments; that is the union’s account. [1]
AFP reported that the case concerned leaked recordings and that his lawyer said he had refused to reveal confidential sources. The prosecution’s allegations are not independent findings by this publication. [2]
The four-year sentence is separate from a one-year prison term he was already serving over an earlier social-media post. [1][2]
CPJ said it sought comment from Tunisian authorities and received no response before its report was published. [1]
Still unconfirmed
- An appeal outcome and a response from the authorities are not established in the checked sources.
Sources
References support the numbered facts above. Source checks: 29 Oct 2026, 13:55 UTC.
The court order was not available in the checked public sources. Two separately owned reporting organisations establish the sentence; disputed procedural and source-protection claims retain attribution.
- Tunisia sentences journalist Zied el-Heni to 4 years on terrorism charges
Committee to Protect Journalists · Reporting · 28 Oct 2026
Press-freedom organisation’s original reporting, quoting the journalists’ union and describing its own request for official comment.
- Tunisian journalist sentenced to four years in jail on terrorism charges
Agence France-Presse, via Africanews · Reporting · 29 Oct 2026
AFP’s separately owned reporting includes a lawyer’s account. Africanews and this AFP copy are one reporting origin.