Tunis: The public prosecutor at the Tunis Court of First Instance issued a detention warrant for journalist Mohamed Boughalleb on Tuesday, according to lawyer Hamadi Zaafrani, a member of the journalist’s defence team.

In a statement to TAP on Tuesday, Zaafrani added that the public prosecutor also decided to refer him to the Criminal Chamber to be charged with an offence under Article 128 of the Penal Code and Article 86 of the Communications Law.

Article 128 of the Penal Code stipulates that anyone who, in public speeches or through the press or any other means of publicity, imputes to a public official or quasi-public official illegal matters relating to his or her work without providing proof of the truth, shall be punished by two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 120 dinars.

Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code stipulates that anyone who deliberately insults or disturbs others through public telecommunications networks is liable to a prison sentence of between one and two years and a fine of betw
een 100 and 1,000 dinars.

Last Friday, the public prosecutor at the Tunis Court of First Instance ordered the 48-hour detention of journalist Mohamed Boughalleb following a complaint filed by an employee of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, accusing him of insulting others via social media.

On Sunday, the public prosecutor’s office decided to extend Boughalleb’s detention for another 48 hours, which means that the case for which he was detained has been classified as a criminal case,” lawyer Anas Kaddoussi told TAP.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse