New York, October 8, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Tunisian authorities to immediately release blogger
Hajer Awadi
and overturn her 26-month prison sentence over a social media post concerning a security operation.
On September 30, the misdemeanor chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance
sentenced
Awadi to eight months for “praising and glorifying terrorism”, one year for “inciting hatred”, and six months for “making threats”, according to
news
reports
. Her lawyer, Samir Ben Amor, told CPJ that he has appealed the sentence.
“Sentencing Hajer Awadi to more than two years in prison over a social media post is yet another example of Tunisian authorities using the criminal justice system to punish critical expression,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Authorities must immediately release Awadi, overturn her conviction, and stop imprisoning journalists and bloggers for their work.”
Awadi, a blogger and political activist who reports on corruption and human rights to around 15,000 followers on
Facebook
, was
arrested
at her home in Tunis on January 23 over a Facebook Live video about a recent security operation in central-west Tunisia. In the video, which has since been removed, she discussed a raid in Majel Bel Abbes where authorities claim to have killed four suspected terrorists
On January 29, the Judicial Counter-Terrorism Pole
ordered
Awadi’s detention and transfer to Manouba Women’s Prison, west of Tunis, where she remains detained.
Awadi was previously
arrested
in April 2020 after posting a Facebook video alleging government corruption, poor distribution of basic food supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, and police mistreatment. She was
released
eight days later after receiving a 75-day suspended prison sentence, Ben Amor told CPJ.
CPJ emailed the Tunisian presidency for comment but did not receive a response.
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