Tunis, June 5, 2025 – The First Investigating Judge at Bureau No. 32 of the Tunis Court of First Instance issued a decision to extend the detention of journalist Mourad Zeghidi for an additional four months in the so-called “money laundering” case against him, according to lawyer Ghazi Mrabet, a member of the defense team.
On May 15, 2025, Zeghidi appeared for the third time before the investigating judge in the same case, where his lawyers renewed their demand for the provisional release of their client, who has been detained for nearly a year. However, the court has yet to rule on this request, reinforcing the impression that the judicial process is deadlocked.
Prolonged Detention Without a Verdict:
It is worth noting that Mourad Zeghidi has not yet been brought before any criminal court, and no final judicial ruling has been issued against him, despite the lengthy period of detention. This constitutes a clear violation of the presumption of innocence and the reasonable periods of precautionary detention stipulated in Tunisian law and international standards for a fair trial.
This repeated extension of his detention, without a judicial decision, constitutes a significant pressure factor, psychologically and professionally, especially given the nature of Zeghidi’s profession as a journalist and his role in expressing critical opinions regarding public policies.
The Freedom for Tunisia Observatory considers the continued detention of journalist Mourad Zeghidi without a judicial verdict, for more than a year, a grave violation of the right to individual liberty and the presumption of innocence, which indicates the use of judicial procedures as a tool of political pressure against independent voices.
The Observatory stresses the need to respect international standards, which stipulate that a person in pretrial detention must be released if the state fails to justify their continued detention with clear and documented evidence. It also calls for Zeghidi to be granted a fair and speedy trial, or for his immediate release in the absence of credible evidence.
