The Committee for the Respect of Freedoms and Human Rights in Tunisia (CRLDHT) condemns in the strongest possible terms the ruling handed down on October 27, 2026, by the criminal chamber specializing in terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance in the so-called “audio recordings” case attributed to Mondher Ounissi.

Summary of the Facts and the Proceedings

The case dates back to September 2023, following the circulation on social media of audio recordings attributed to Mondher Ounissi, then interim president of the Ennahdha movement, and to journalist Chahrazed Akacha. The excerpts that were circulated reportedly concerned internal matters within the movement and political issues. Mondher Ounissi disputed the authenticity of the recordings.

On September 7, 2023, journalist Zied El Heni discussed these recordings on a radio program. He explained that he had contacted the individuals involved to verify their authenticity. According to information provided by his defense team, he was summoned on September 15 to appear as a witness before an antiterrorism unit. Investigators asked him for access to his phone and information about his sources. He initially refused to hand over his phone without a reasoned judicial authorization. His status then changed from witness to suspect, and he was charged with four terrorism-related counts.

The CRLDHT believes that turning journalistic fact-checking into suspicions of terrorism constitutes a serious violation of press freedom and the public’s right to information.

The proceedings have been postponed several times. On July 10, 2026, the court denied a request to release Mondher Ounissi and adjourned consideration of the case until September 25. The hearing was then postponed to October 16, and later to October 27, due to a lack of a quorum, according to the information provided.

On October 27, Zied El Heni and Mondher Ounissi appeared via video link from Mornaguia Prison. The defense had requested that the journalist appear in person. Lawyers and professional organizations reported restrictions on the exercise of the right to a fair trial. The CRLDHT deplores the fact that a trial of this gravity was conducted remotely under disputed conditions, which did not fully guarantee the defendants’ participation or the effective exercise of their right to a fair trial.

The sentences handed down to the eleven defendants

At the conclusion of the hearing, the court handed down the following sentences:

• Mondher Ounissi: nine years in prison, to be served immediately;
• Zied El Heni: four years in prison, to be served immediately;
• Taher Boubahri: twenty-five years in prison, to be served immediately. He was being held in connection with another case;
• Fethi Ayadi: twenty-five years in prison, with immediate execution;
• Chahrazed Akacha: 25 years in prison, sentenced in absentia;
• Ridha Idriss: twenty-five years in prison, to be served immediately;
• Ahmed Gaaloul: twenty-five years in prison, with immediate execution;
• Rafik Abdessalem, also known as Rafik Bouchlaka: twenty-five years in prison, to be served immediately;
• Mouadh Kheriji: twenty-five years in prison, to be served immediately;
• Maher Zid: 25 years in prison, sentenced in absentia;
• Mohamed Samti: 25 years in prison, sentenced in absentia.

Additional convictions in separate cases

Several individuals sentenced on October 27, 2026, had previously been convicted in other cases: Mondher Ounissi was sentenced to four years in the case of the late Jilani Dabboussi, a sentence upheld in June 2026; Zied El Heni to one year, also upheld in June, as well as a six-month suspended sentence that was made effective, meaning he must serve 18 months according to published reports; Taher Boubahri was sentenced to sixteen years in the “case of the cell for monitoring and planning assassinations,” and to life imprisonment plus 76 years in the case of Ennahdha’s “secret apparatus”; Chahrazed Akacha was sentenced to 27 years in the “Instalingo” case—a sentence upheld in January 2026—to 25 years in another “conspiracy” case, and to 35 years in absentia in the “conspiracy against state security 2” case. In separate cases, Ridha Idriss was sentenced in absentia to 33 years; Rafik Abdessalem to 13 years in a “terrorism” case, to three years for foreign funding of Ennahdha—a sentence upheld in July 2026—and to 35 years in the “conspiracy against state security 2” case ”; Mouadh Kheriji and Maher Zid were each sentenced to 35 years in the latter case; finally, Mohamed Samti was sentenced to five years in April 2025, then to sixteen years in November of the same year.

Criminalizing Journalism in the Name of the War on Terror

The CRLDHT condemns the use of anti-terrorism legislation to prosecute a journalist for actions that are part of his or her job: researching and verifying information, contacting those involved, and protecting sources.

The confidentiality of sources cannot be used as evidence of guilt. Verifying information in the public interest cannot be equated with terrorist activity.

The Committee also condemns the violations that occurred during the investigation and preliminary inquiry: Zied El Heni’s reclassification from witness to suspect, the circumstances surrounding the request for and examination of his phone, and the questions aimed at identifying his sources. It calls for the legal safeguards regarding the protection of journalistic sources to be respected.

The CRLDHT calls on the Tunisian authorities to:

1. Immediately release all persons detained in connection with this case and halt the enforcement of the sentences imposed on them;
2. Set aside the judgment of October 27 and order the release or acquittal of the convicted individuals, while respecting their rights and the guarantees of a fair trial;
3. To guarantee every person facing prosecution the right to be present at their trial, to have access to the case file, to communicate freely with their attorneys, to prepare their defense, and to present their arguments;
4. Launch an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities that occurred during the investigation and preliminary inquiry, particularly those concerning the seizure and examination of Zied El Heni’s cell phone;
5. Effectively protect the confidentiality of journalistic sources and put an end to criminal prosecutions of journalists for acts related to the verification and reporting of information;
6. Stop using anti-terrorism provisions and common-law offenses to punish free speech, journalistic work, or criticism;
7. Comply with Tunisia’s national and international obligations regarding freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and the right to a fair trial.

The CRLDHT expresses its full solidarity with Mondher Ounissi, Zied El Heni, and all the other convicted individuals, as well as with their families and loved ones. It calls on Tunisian and international human rights organizations, journalists’ unions, and all those committed to freedom to continue their efforts.

Paris, October 28, 2026