Tunisian journalist Mohamed Yousfi underwent emergency surgery while in custody

Tunisian journalist Mohamed Yousfi, editor-in-chief of the investigative journalism site Al Qatiba, underwent emergency surgery after suddenly falling ill while in custody. This was announced by the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), expressing "further concern" about his health conditions.

According to the union, Yousfi felt "a sudden illness" in the night between Friday and Saturday and was transferred to a hospital in the capital, where doctors deemed it necessary to undergo urgent surgery. The SNJT attributed "full responsibility" for his physical integrity to the authorities having custody and asked that he be guaranteed all the necessary care and medical monitoring. The union therefore renewed its request for the journalist's immediate release, also to allow him to continue his treatment and convalescence in adequate conditions.

Yousfi was stopped on September 4 in front of the headquarters of the local radio station Express FM, where he was preparing to participate in a broadcast dedicated to water policy in Tunisia. He was then taken to the National Guard unit specializing in investigating complex financial crimes in Aouina. According to a judicial source cited by the Tunisian agency TAP, the investigation concerns, among other crimes, illicit enrichment, money laundering and alleged illicit financial flows obtained through an association.

The SNJT instead claims that during the interrogations Yousfi was also interviewed about some posts published on Facebook, about his journalistic activity and about the editorial line of Al Qatiba, and therefore considers the proceedings linked to the exercise of the profession and freedom of expression.