Tunisia clamps down on journalists amid deadly heatwave and water crisis
Journalist Mohamed Yousfi was detained by police in Tunis as the country endures extreme heat, power cuts and water shortages, highlighting growing repression.
Amid a scorching summer that has seen temperatures reach 50 °C, frequent electricity outages and sporadic water deliveries, Tunisian police arrested well-known podcaster and Al Qatiba chief Mohamed Yousfi as he entered the Express FM studio in the capital. The journalist, known for criticizing President Kais Saied, was taken to Mornagia detention centre, a move seen as part of an intensified repression campaign that has already targeted dozens of media workers and civil-society figures.
Since the 2022 introduction of decree 54, courts can impose long prison terms for alleged false news or personal attacks, a provision condemned by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Committee to Protect Journalists. Over the heatwave, hospitals and prisons reported dozens of deaths from overheating, yet public debate on the infrastructure collapse is stifled. NGOs document at least 47 activists in pre-trial detention and several long-term sentences, including the case of Sadia Mosbah and Sonia Dahmani. The situation underscores the intertwining of climate-driven hardship and authoritarian crackdowns in Tunisia.
Why it matters
The story shows how climate-induced crises are being used to justify harsher suppression of free speech in Tunisia.
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