Tunisia: The Law Powering Tunisia’s Crackdown On the Press

New York City — Since President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power in 2021, Tunisia’s press freedom landscape has narrowed sharply. A single piece of legislation–Decree-Law No. 2022-54 on combating “crimes related to information and communication systems”–has become the legal hammer used to silence critics, criminalize routine reporting, and imprison at least five journalists.

The release of lawyer and commentator Sonia Dahmani in late 2025 offered a brief moment of relief in Tunisia’s…