A Tunisian judge on Thursday ordered the release of prominent journalist Zied Heni two days after he was arrested over accusations he had insulted President Kais Saied.
His release followed a campaign of solidarity with him and criticism that the authorities were clamping down on freedom of speech, a key gain won by Tunisians after the 2011 revolution that ended the authoritarian rule of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Saied seized extra powers in 2021 when he shutdown the elected parliament and moved to rule by decree and then assumed authority over the judiciary.
Judges have detained or opened investigations into more than 20 political, judicial, media and business figures with opposition ties over recent months, accusing some of plotting against state security.
Reuters