Tunisian journalist released following detention on 'state security' charges

The editor of the Achahed website, Lotfi Hidouri.

A Tunisian news editor linked to the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party has been released following his arrest in connection with a company suspected of plotting against the government, according to his lawyer.

The editor of the Achahed website, Lotfi Hidouri, has been detained since Thursday. AFP reported that he appeared before a judge on Monday, who ruled that he should be released. Hidouri, however, is still facing prosecution for allegedly questionable transactions between his financing group and Instalingo, a company that creates digital content.

Since last year, Instalingo has been under investigation for allegedly "planning against state security" and "inciting violence", according to Tunisian media reports. According to Ben Amor, Hidouri had "no administrative responsibilities" at Achahed that justified his prosecution.

The Ennahdha party held a majority in the parliament dissolved by President Kais Saied after he had sacked the government and taken broad-ranging powers last July. Several rights groups have warned that Saied's actions could threaten the country's hard-won democratic gains since its 2011 revolution, which sparked the Arab Spring.

The SNJT journalists' union warned in May that the press freedom in North Africa faced "serious threats."