On Saturday, May 11, 2024, Borhen Bsaies, a Tunisian journalist and media figure, was arrested by one of the security units and taken to the headquarters of the special unit for Cybercrimes in El Gorjani. During the interrogation, it was revealed that his arrest was related to several social media posts and statements attributed to him. Following the investigation, the public prosecution authorized his detention, the search of his home, and the seizure of any relevant items.As stated by the lawyer of the victim of the violation in the media:There are 16 clips recorded for radio and TV programs, some of them date back to 2020. The victim was asked about its content, meaning and the phrases he used, as it was indicated that the purpose of some interventions was to offend the president, which he denied. His media statements were part of his work at one time as a political analyst on a radio station and a program presenter, thus requiring him to discuss various political positions and opinions, tackle relevant issues, and critique them. These actions come in light of freedom of the press and the media, which are legally legitimate and fall under the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.After that, the detention of the victim was extended for 48 hours. On May 15, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued against Borhen Bsaies with a hearing scheduled for May 22, 2024, with charges classified as a misdemeanor. He was charged with the total charges stipulated in Article 24, Paragraph 2 of Decree No.54. Borhen Bsaies was then initially sentenced to six months for a crime of deliberately using an information and communication network and systems to produce, promote, publish, send and prepare false news and rumors with the aim of violating the rights of others and harming public security. He was also sentenced to another six months for a second crime for using information systems to diffuse news that contain false attribution to defame others, damaging their reputation and causing them material and moral harm. Both cases are by virtue of Article 24 of Decree No. 54.

On July 30,2024, the court of appeal in Tunisia has issued a ruling, condemning journalist “Borhen Bsaies” to a term of eight months in prison with a suspended sentence.