Monday, 15 June 2026 | Author: Andrew Michael | File Photo | GT-News |
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Tunisian authorities to immediately overturn a four-year prison sentence handed down in absentia against prominent journalist Khaoula Boukrim, founder of the independent news website TUMEDIA, describing the conviction as a serious violation of due process and press freedom.
Boukrim, who left Tunisia for France in December 2025, learned on June 8 that a Tunisian court had convicted her on February 26 in two separate cases under the country’s controversial Cybercrime Decree-Law 54, according to a local journalist who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
The court reportedly sentenced Boukrim to two years in prison in each case, bringing the total sentence to four years. Neither Boukrim nor her lawyer were informed about the legal proceedings or the verdicts. As of June 10, they had been unable to determine the precise charges against her or identify the online posts or statements that formed the basis of the convictions.
CPJ condemned the ruling as another example of Tunisia’s growing crackdown on independent journalism.
“Sentencing Khaoula Boukrim to four years in prison in absentia under cybercrime Decree-Law 54 without notifying her or her lawyer of the proceedings is a disturbing violation of due process and another example of Tunisia’s relentless targeting of independent journalists,” said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, CPJ’s Chief Program Officer.
“Authorities should immediately overturn these convictions, stop weaponizing Decree-Law 54 against the press, and ensure journalists can work without fear of prosecution or imprisonment,” he added.
The case comes amid increasing scrutiny of Tunisia’s use of Decree-Law 54, legislation enacted in 2022 to combat cybercrime but which rights groups say has increasingly been used to silence journalists, activists, and government critics.
According to CPJ, pressure on Boukrim intensified in recent years. In August 2024, Tunisia’s Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) revoked her press accreditation ahead of the presidential election. Later that year, in November, police summoned her twice for questioning over her reporting on a July 2022 protest after a security officer accused her of insulting him.
The latest developments occurred after security officers reportedly visited the home of Boukrim’s mother in Tunis on June 2 seeking information about the journalist’s whereabouts. Days later, her lawyer discovered the convictions while reviewing court records.
Boukrim’s sentencing follows a pattern of prosecutions under Decree-Law 54. In May, journalist Sonia Dahmani was sentenced to two years in prison after being released from detention. Other journalists, including Zied el-Heni, Mourad Zghidi, and Borhen Bsaies, have also received prison sentences under the law in recent months.
Press freedom advocates argue that the increasing use of cybercrime legislation against journalists represents a significant setback for freedom of expression in Tunisia, a country once regarded as a regional model for democratic reform following the 2011 Arab Spring.
CPJ said it had sought comment from Tunisian authorities regarding Boukrim’s conviction, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
The case has renewed concerns among media rights organizations that legal measures intended to address online crime are being used to restrict independent reporting and critical voices in Tunisia’s increasingly constrained media environment.
