TUNISIA · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- The country Tunisia is a North African country of about 12 million people, led since 2019 by President Kais Saied, who took sweeping powers in 2021.
- What happened On Tuesday 27 October 2026, a Tunis court sentenced a journalist, an Ennahdha leader and others to 4 to 25 years.
- The court The specialized criminal chamber for terrorism cases of the Tunis Court of First Instance, which hears the most serious security cases.
- The sentences Journalist Zied El Heni received 4 years, Ennahdha’s Mondher Ounissi 9 years, and Maher Zid, Chahrazed Akacha, Rafik Abdessalem and Ahmed Gaaloul 25 years each.
- The charges El Heni and Ounissi faced four counts under the counter-terrorism and money-laundering law, including forming a terrorist organization and contacting agents of a foreign state.
- The origin The case grew out of audio recordings attributed to Ounissi that leaked in September 2023, and the accused call the trial political.
- Still open Whether the defendants will appeal, and which of those sentenced were tried in their absence.
Tunisia jails critics and opposition figures for 4 to 25 years after a terrorism trial ended in Tunis on Tuesday 27 October 2026. The verdict covers a well-known journalist, a senior official of the Ennahdha party and several other defendants.
For American readers, the ruling shows how far Tunisia has moved from the democratic promise of its 2011 revolution. The country remains a partner of Washington and Brussels on security and migration, so its courts matter beyond its borders.
What the Court Decided in Tunis
The specialized criminal chamber for terrorism cases of the Tunis Court of First Instance read out its verdict on Tuesday evening, 27 October 2026. Sentences ran from 4 years for the lightest term to 25 years, with immediate execution, for the heaviest.
The trial is known in Tunisia as the leaked recordings case, and Tunisia jails critics in it for terms of up to 25 years. It had been postponed several times, most recently from Friday 16 October to Tuesday 27 October.
Who Received Which Sentence
Zied El Heni, a prominent radio and television journalist, was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Mondher Ounissi, a former acting president of Ennahdha, the Islamist-rooted party that shaped Tunisian politics after 2011, received 9 years.
Maher Zid, Chahrazed Akacha, Rafik Abdessalem and Ahmed Gaaloul each received 25 years, with immediate execution. Other defendants described as fugitives were also convicted.
The Four Charges
El Heni and Ounissi faced four counts under Tunisia’s law on fighting terrorism and money laundering. They are forming a terrorist organization, disclosing secrets for the benefit of that organization, and failing to report a terrorist crime.
The fourth count is making contact with agents of a foreign state in order to push them to harm the interests of Tunisia. Before the verdict, El Heni had faced a possible maximum of 20 years.
A Case Born From Leaked Audio in 2023
The affair began in September 2023, when audio recordings attributed to Ounissi leaked and prosecutors opened an investigation. Ounissi was placed in detention on 5 September 2023, and two days later the file went to the judicial unit for counter-terrorism.
El Heni was first called as a witness after discussing the recordings on air, where he said he had checked them with those concerned. He later became a defendant, and he and his lawyers describe the trial as political.
A Journalist Who Followed by Video Link
El Heni took part from the Mornaguia civil prison by video link, according to his defence committee. It says the court refused to let him appear in person and that a technical failure lasted more than an hour.
After the connection returned, the committee says he could not hear the pleadings in the courtroom. It raised doubts that he could follow the hearing and use his right to defend himself.
A Journalist Already Behind Bars
On 26 June 2026, the Tunis Court of Appeal upheld a one-year prison term against El Heni under Article 86 of the telecommunications code. The ruling also revived an earlier six-month suspended sentence, so he had 18 months to serve.
Reporters Without Borders, the Paris-based press freedom group, warned before the October hearing that the case could weaken the confidentiality of journalists’ sources. It called on the authorities to protect that right and to acquit him.
What It Means for US Readers
When Tunisia jails critics, the effect reaches beyond its borders, because the country is a transit point for migrants heading to Europe. Governments in Washington and Brussels deal with President Saied on security and migration while also following his record on rights.
Readers who want the wider picture can start with the explainer on who holds power in Tunisia. A recent gold laundering case with 13 arrests shows the same court system at work on a very different file.
What Is Not Known
The full list of defendants and the exact term for each of them is not yet public. It is also open which of them were sentenced in their absence.
No appeal has been announced so far, so it is open whether a higher court will review how Tunisia jails critics here. The reasoning of the court, which would show which evidence it accepted on each count, has not been published.
More: Tunisia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was sentenced in the Tunis leaked recordings case?
In this verdict Tunisia jails critics including journalist Zied El Heni, who received 4 years, and Ennahdha figure Mondher Ounissi, who received 9 years. Maher Zid, Chahrazed Akacha, Rafik Abdessalem and Ahmed Gaaloul each received 25 years.
Which court issued the verdict?
The specialized criminal chamber for terrorism cases of the Tunis Court of First Instance read the verdict on Tuesday 27 October 2026. It hears the most serious security cases, including the one in which Tunisia jails critics.
What were the defendants charged with?
The four counts include forming a terrorist organization, disclosing secrets for it and failing to report a terrorist crime. The fourth is contacting agents of a foreign state to push them to harm Tunisia’s interests.
Why do critics call the trial political?
The accused and their lawyers call the case political, and Tunisia jails critics in it after leaked audio attributed to an Ennahdha leader. A journalist who discussed the audio on air became a defendant, which Reporters Without Borders says threatens the confidentiality of sources.
Can the sentences be appealed?
Verdicts of a court of first instance in Tunisia can normally be challenged before the Court of Appeal. No appeal had been announced at the time of writing, even though Tunisia jails critics here for up to 25 years.
Sources: Reporters Without Borders, statement on the anti-terrorism charges against Zied El Heni, October 2026; Committee to Protect Journalists, statement on the new terrorism charges against Zied El Heni, 16 September 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error