logo
Tunisian judge releases prominent journalist Mohamed Boughalleb

Tunisian judge releases prominent journalist Mohamed Boughalleb

Reuters20-02-2025

TUNIS, Feb 20 (Reuters) - A Tunisian judge on Thursday released prominent journalist Mohamed Boughalleb, a critic of President Kais Saied, his lawyer told Reuters, a move the opposition hopes will lead to the release of other jailed opposition and media figures.
On Wednesday, Sihem Ben Sedrine, a veteran politician and head of the Truth and Dignity Commission, was also released after months of detention. Riadh Mouakhar, a former minister, was also freed on Thursday.
The move comes two days after the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Tunisia to end the arrests, arbitrary detentions and jailing of humans rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and politicians
Dozens of senior politicians, including Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constituonal Party, and Rached Ghannouchi, the head on Ennahda's party, two of Saied's most prominent opponents, remain in prison since 2023.
Boughalleb, was jailed last year, on charge of insulting a public official, which the journalists union said was aimed at silencing the voices of journalists.
Saied seized extra powers in 2021 when he shut down the elected parliament and moved to rule by decree before assuming authority over the judiciary.
Since Tunisia's 2011 revolution, press freedom has been a key gain for Tunisians and its media has become one of the most open of any Arab state.
However, politicians, journalists and unions say that freedom of the press now faces a serious threat under Saied's rule. The president, who came to power in 2019 in elections, who has rejected such accusations, saying he will not become a dictator.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ukraine brings home new group of POWs, Zelenskiy says
Ukraine brings home new group of POWs, Zelenskiy says

Reuters

time25 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Ukraine brings home new group of POWs, Zelenskiy says

KYIV, June 10 (Reuters) - Ukraine on Tuesday returned a new group of prisoners of war as part of an earlier agreement with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. "Today marks the first stage of the return of our seriously wounded and injured soldiers from Russian captivity. All of them require immediate medical attention. This is an important humanitarian act," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messenger.

Denmark picks French, German and Norwegian air defence suppliers
Denmark picks French, German and Norwegian air defence suppliers

Reuters

time26 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Denmark picks French, German and Norwegian air defence suppliers

COPENHAGEN, June 10 (Reuters) - Denmark will acquire short-range air defence systems from MBDA France, Germany's Diehl Defence and Kongsberg Gruppen ( opens new tab of Norway, the Nordic country's defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in February ordered the military to go on a buying spree to beef up the country's defences in preparation for potential future Russian aggression in Europe. Denmark will spend over six billion Danish crowns ($919 million) on the artillery acquisition, with the first deliveries expected in 2026, the defence ministry said. Denmark received 10 offers, including from suppliers in Turkey, Israel and Italy, and decided in the end to buy systems from French and German suppliers and to lease one from Norway's Kongsberg, it added. ($1 = 6.5304 Danish crowns)

US energy loan office should fund oil, gas, White House aide says
US energy loan office should fund oil, gas, White House aide says

Reuters

time31 minutes ago

  • Reuters

US energy loan office should fund oil, gas, White House aide says

WASHINGTON, June 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department's loan office should fund oil and gas infrastructure, a White House aide said on Tuesday. "One of the big problems is, in the past the ... loan program office has been used for a lot of these renewable projects," Jarrod Agen, a deputy assistant to the president and executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council, said at a Politico conference on energy. The Loan Programs Office grew rapidly under former President Joe Biden, thanks to legislation passed during his term, and has hundreds of billions of dollars in loan and loan guarantee capacity. Agen said the administration is changing the priority of the LPO, which is meant to help finance emerging energy projects that show promise but face difficulties getting bank loans. "So, yes, we want to invest more and prioritize projects that are oil and gas-related, nuclear-related," Agen said. President Donald Trump's new energy dominance council has focused on increasing already record-high oil and gas output and cutting climate and pollution regulations on fossil fuels. In his first term, Trump only used the LPO to finance the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia. The Trump administration wants to offer tens of billions of dollars in LPO financing over the next two years to projects developing nuclear and geothermal power and minerals used in everything from wind and solar power to weapons systems, according to the White House budget for fiscal 2026. Republicans in the House have pushed to slash LPO's lending.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store