"We are journalists and not terrorists", "O magistracy to orders, fill the prisons again", "Freedom for the Tunisian press", chanted the demonstrators gathered in front of the headquarters of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT).
At the call of the SNJT, the demonstrators also protested against the sentencing on appeal to five years in prison of a journalist of the private radio Mosaïque FM, Khalifa Guesmi, for having disclosed information about the security services.
Under an anti-terrorism law, he was convicted of "participating in the intentional disclosure of information relating to interception, infiltration, audio-visual surveillance or data collected there," according to his lawyer.
"There is a frank and clear (political) orientation towards lockdown and repression, which targets the non-submissive media," SNJT president Mahdi Jlassi said at the demonstration.
Two Tunisian students were detained on Monday after a satirical song criticizing police and a law cracking down on drug use posted on social media.
According to Mr. Jlassi, about twenty journalists are being prosecuted for their work.
Several local and international NGOs warned Tuesday "against the seriousness of the repressive orientation of the current government".
They have repeatedly criticized a "rollback" of freedoms in Tunisia since President Kais Saied assumed full powers on July 25, 2021.
© 2023 AFP