Zied El-Heni drops appeal against four-year sentence
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Business News
Tunisian journalist Zied El-Heni has announced that he will not appeal his four-year prison sentence in the “leaked audio recordings” case. From La Mornaguia prison, he contests the judgment and accuses the authorities of retaliation linked to his criticism of President Kaïs Saïed, according to his statement published on Wednesday.
Tunisian journalist Zied El-Heni announced on Wednesday 28 October 2026 that he would not appeal his four-year prison sentence in the leaked audio recordings case, reports Business News. In a message published from La Mornaguia prison, he described the judgment as a “judicial scandal” and said the proceedings were linked to his journalistic work and criticism of President Kaïs Saïed.
The criminal chamber specialising in terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance handed down the sentence on 27 October. The journalist appeared remotely from prison; his defence committee said the court had rejected his request to attend the hearing in person. The session was also interrupted by a technical incident lasting more than an hour.
The case concerns the leak, in September 2023, of recordings attributed to Mondher Ounissi, the former acting president of the Ennahdha movement. Initially summoned as a witness, El-Heni was questioned after discussing the recordings during a radio programme, according to Business News. His four-year prison sentence was handed down the day before he announced that he would not appeal.
