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November 21, 2025 – Tunisia –
In Tunis on 20 November 2025, dozens of journalists and media workers held a protest outside government offices, decrying what they described as an unprecedented crackdown on press freedom since the 2011 uprising.
Carrying press badges and banners reading “Journalism is not a crime” and “Freedom for Tunisian media”, the protesters called for the release of jailed colleagues and demanded an end to mounting restrictions on their work. A key focus was the suspension of prominent independent outlets such as Nawaat, along with refusals to issue press credentials for 2025 and filming permits for foreign correspondents.
The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) accused the government of systematically dismantling the gains made after the Arab Spring. “Tunisian journalism is at its worst since the 2011 revolution,” former SNJT leader Mahdi Jlassi declared. He added that the mere act of reporting has become risky, as journalists face prosecution under broad laws and punitive measures for simply doing their jobs.
Since Kais Saied assumed full power following his 2021 parliamentary suspension, civil society and independent media have warned of progressive erosion of freedoms. The deployment of Decree Law 54, criminalising “false news” and empowering authorities to silence dissent, has further stoked fears among journalists.
Participants at the demonstration pointed to a sharp drop in Tunisia’s standing on international press-freedom indices and the growing number of media practitioners arrested or under formal investigation. They said state-aligned media outlets, meanwhile, have become mere extensions of the regime, limiting pluralism and independent inquiry.
While Justice Minister Laila Jaffal insisted prosecutions target defamation rather than free expression, media watchdogs regard the response as insufficient and emblematic of a wider crackdown. The protest underscores growing alarm that Tunisia’s hard-won democratic space is being reversed — and that journalists stand at the forefront of this shift.
Reference –
https://www.newarab.com/news/tunisians-protest-against-crackdown-press-freedom
https://wadr.org/tunisian-journalists-protest-as-crackdown-on-media-escalates/
