TUNIS: Tunisian authorities on Friday released Al Jazeera reporter Samir Sassi two days after his arrest under undisclosed circumstances, confirmed his lawyer.
Sassi, 55, was taken into custody late Wednesday following a police raid on his residence, during which electronic devices were seized, according to Lotfi Hajji, Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Tunis.
Tunisian authorities have not officially commented on the reasons for Sassi’s arrest, and his lawyer, Ayachi Hammami, could not confirm whether criminal charges are pending.
Tunisia has faced criticism for its actions against freedom of speech, as the International Federation of Journalists stated that Tunisian authorities have arrested 30 journalists in 2023.
According to local media in the North African country, Sassi is suspected of ‘membership in a terrorist group’ with alleged links to President Kais Saied’s political rival, the Ennahdha party.
Another Tunisian journalist, Zied El Heni, was placed in police custody on Monday and awaits trial after criticizing Tunisian Commerce Minister Kalthoum Ben Rejeb on his radio show.
Zied Dabbar, president of the Tunisian press union SNJT, condemned what he called “pure intimidation” by authorities, expressing concern over increasing violations of media freedoms.
Al Jazeera’s Tunisia bureau has been closed since President Saied’s swift power grab in July 2021, though the network’s journalists remained accredited and continued their coverage. No reason was provided by authorities for the closure at that time.
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, expressed deep concern last year over the crackdown on media in Tunisia, highlighting the use of vaguely worded legislation to criminalize criticism. Currently, 17 journalists in Tunisia face trial, with two remaining in custody, according to local media reports.
