Zied El-Heni’s terrorism trial postponed to 27 October in Tunis
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Businessnews
The trial of Tunisian journalist Zied El-Heni, prosecuted in part under anti-terrorism legislation for discussing leaked audio recordings, has been postponed to 27 October 2026. The fifth chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance is due to hear the case on that date, reports Businessnews.
The hearing in the terrorism trial of Tunisian journalist Zied El-Heni has been postponed to Tuesday 27 October 2026, reports Businessnews. He is being prosecuted in the so-called “leaked recordings” case before the fifth chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance, which specialises in terrorism cases.
The latest postponement follows the previous one on 16 October, when the journalist was due to appear. The case concerns audio recordings attributed to Mondher Ounissi, former acting president of the Ennahdha movement. Initially questioned as a witness, Zied El-Heni spoke about the recordings on the radio and said he had contacted the people concerned to verify their authenticity. He faces four charges, including under anti-terrorism legislation, and could face up to 20 years in prison.
On the eve of the 16 October hearing, Reporters Without Borders had expressed concern, saying the prosecution risked undermining the confidentiality of journalistic sources. The organisation called on the authorities to guarantee this protection and acquit the journalist.
Zied El-Heni is also subject to other convictions. On 26 June 2026, the Tunis Court of Appeal upheld a one-year prison sentence imposed under Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code. This decision led to the enforcement of an earlier six-month suspended sentence, bringing the total prison term to be served to 18 months.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
