Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms is following with concern the continued judicial prosecution of journalist Hedi Raddaoui in relation to his journalistic work and his coverage of a protest held by staff members of the National Food Safety Authority in Gafsa Governorate in September 2025.

The case stems from a report prepared by Hedi Raddaoui, in which he covered a protest organized by staff members of the National Food Safety Authority in Gafsa under the supervision of their local trade union branch. The protest was held to denounce delays in issuing the regulatory texts governing their career path and financial entitlements, and to protest what they described as administrative practices obstructing their work. Redaoui’s coverage fell squarely within the exercise of his professional duties as a journalist.

At the hearing held on 14 April 2026, the Gafsa Court of First Instance postponed the case to 23 June 2026, following a request by the defence team to review the case file and prepare its arguments.

Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms affirms that bringing a journalist before the courts because of their coverage of a social or trade union protest constitutes a violation of freedom of the press and freedom of expression. This case forms part of a broader pattern of increasing judicial proceedings against journalists for carrying out their professional work, contributing to a climate of pressure on independent media and the criminalization of journalism.

The press is not a party to the events it covers. Its role is to document facts and convey them to the public. Prosecuting journalists for performing this role directly undermines the public’s right to access information and threatens the watchdog function of the media in a democratic society.

The Association recalls that freedom of expression and freedom of the press are fundamental rights protected under international human rights standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These standards require the State to protect journalists and ensure that they are able to perform their work in a safe environment, free from intimidation, retaliation, or arbitrary prosecution.

The Association considers that the use of judicial proceedings against journalists for covering social and trade union issues entrenches a climate of fear and self-censorship, and limits the media’s ability to report on citizens’ concerns and hold public authorities accountable.

The continuation of such practices undermines the basic guarantees required for a free and pluralistic public sphere, where opinions, ideas, and media coverage can circulate without fear of prosecution or punishment.

Accordingly, Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms calls for an end to the judicial proceedings against journalist Hedi Raddaoui, full respect for national and international guarantees protecting freedom of the press and freedom of expression, and an end to the use of the judiciary to target journalists for carrying out their professional duties.

The Association renews its full solidarity with journalist Hedi Raddaoui and calls on human rights organizations, professional bodies, and civil society actors to continue defending press freedom and confronting all forms of restriction and harassment targeting the sector, in order to protect the right to freedom of expression as a fundamental pillar of any democratic society that respects rights and guarantees freedoms.