The Straits Times World News
· collected 2026-09-04 · by The Straits Times
Tunisian police arrested prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi on Saturday as he was preparing for a radio programme at Express FM Radio, citing no reason. A judge later ordered his detention on charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering. Yousfi has been critical of President Kais Saied's policies and is the editor-in-chief of investigative news website Al-Qatiba. Rights groups warn that Yousfi's arrest is part of a growing trend of attempts to stifle independent voices in Tunisia, with several media figures jailed this year under Saied's rule by decree.
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Story summary
Tunisian police arrested prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi on September 4th, as he was preparing to enter Express FM Radio to participate in a radio program. Yousfi is the editor-in-chief of Al-Qatiba, an investigative news website, and has been critical of President Kais Saied's policies. According to Zied Dabbar, president of the SNJT union, police arrested Yousfi without giving any reason for his detention. This arrest is part of a larger pattern of several media figures being jailed in Tunisia this year, including Zied Heni, Mourad Zghidi, and Khaoula Boukrim, who was sentenced to four years in absentia in June. Critics say that these arrests are aimed at stifling dissenting voices in the country, where President Saied has been ruling by decree since suspending parliament in 2021 and dissolving it in 2022. Yousfi's arrest is the latest example of a growing trend of suppressing independent media outlets in Tunisia, according to rights groups.
Written for “Tunisian Journalist Arrested” on 2026-09-05,
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 3945 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-05
Tunisian police arrest prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi
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police → arrest → Yousfi
A Tunisian judge on Saturday ordered the detention of prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi, an outspoken critic of President Kais Saied, hours after police arrested him in what critics said was an attempt to stifle dissenting voices.
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critics → order → voices
Police arrested Yousfi as he was preparing to enter Express FM Radio to take part in a radio programme, said Zied Dabbar, president of the journalist syndicate SNJT.
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Dabbar → arrest → syndicate
Walid Ben Rhouma, a presenter at Express FM who had invited Yousfi to appear on his programme, said police told him that Yousfi would be taken in for questioning, without giving any reason.
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Yousfi → invite → reason
The judge ordered Yousfi detained on charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering, the state news agency reported, citing a judicial source.
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agency → order → source
SNJT said Yousfi was questioned about his journalistic work and Al-Qatiba’s editorial line, linking his arrest to his criticism of the authorities.
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Yousfi → say → authorities
SNJT said Yousfi's arrest was not only an attack on him, but also on all journalists’ right to practice their profession and Tunisians’ right to a free and independent media.
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arrest → say → media
Tunisian authorities did not immediately respond after office hours to Reuters request for comment on the arrest.
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authorities → respond → arrest
Rights groups warn of growing attempts to stifle the remaining independent voices in Tunisia since Saied suspended parliament in 2021 and dissolved it in 2022, ruling by decree.
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Saied → warn → decree
Several media figures have been jailed this year, including Zied Heni, Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaies, and Khaoula Boukrim was sentenced in June to four years in absentia.
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Boukrim → jail → absentia
Free speech initially flourished following the 2011 uprising that toppled Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and led to the "Arab Spring".
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that → flourish → Spring
But critics say Saied's accumulation of power in 2021 and decrees he has issued since then have dismantled democratic safeguards and enabled the authorities to pursue many journalists.
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he → say → journalists
Saied says he will not be a dictator and that freedoms are guaranteed in Tunisia.
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freedoms → say → Tunisia
