A Tunisian court has sentenced two prominent radio journalists to three-and-a-half years in prison on tax evasion charges, a ruling their families and supporters say is politically motivated and aimed at silencing critical media voices.

The journalists, Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi, both affiliated with local broadcaster IFM, were convicted on Thursday after having already spent more than a year in detention. They have been incarcerated since 2024, initially serving an eight-month sentence after being found guilty of spreading false news and insulting President Kais Saied, before being placed in pre-trial detention in the tax case.

Family members strongly rejected the court’s decision. Maryem Zghidi, the sister of Mourad Zghidi, said the family was “shocked” by the verdict, describing the charges as unfounded and retaliatory. “The ruling is an attack on the press and freedom of expression,” she said. “They want to silence Mourad’s voice, but we will not remain quiet.”

The families are expected to appeal the sentences.

President Saied has repeatedly denied accusations that his administration is curbing press freedom or targeting journalists for their work. However, critics argue that the convictions form part of a broader pattern of repression since Saied began ruling by decree in 2021, following his suspension of parliament and consolidation of executive power.

Human rights groups and press freedom advocates say journalists, opposition figures and civil society activists have increasingly faced arrests, prosecutions and legal pressure, raising concerns about the erosion of democratic freedoms in the North African country

The sentencing of Bssaies and Zghidi is likely to intensify scrutiny of Tunisia’s human rights record and its treatment of independent media, as international observers continue to monitor the country’s political and judicial developments.