Chatha Belhaj Mubarak, a journalist from Tunisia, was released after her sentence was reduced

Journalist Chatha Belhaj Mubarak has been imprisoned since 2023 in a conspiracy case; on Wednesday, a Tunisian appellate court reduced her prison term and ordered her release, according to her family.

Her brother informed Reuters that she was eligible for immediate release after the judge reduced her sentence from five years to two.

In the so-called “Instalingo” case, she was found guilty along with other defendants who were accused of financial crimes and conspiracy, including politicians and media personalities. “Chatha is free and leaving prison,” stated her brother, Amen Belhaj Mubarak, after Belhaj Mubarak refuted the accusations.

He claimed that while her incarceration, her health had drastically declined. He also mentioned that she was afflicted with cancer while incarcerated and experienced severe symptoms, such as severe hearing loss.

Opposition organizations’ claims that the prosecutions were politically motivated have been denied by Tunisian authorities, who have stated that the case is the result of court investigations into alleged financial and security-related offenses.

Numerous prominent conspiracy cases involving politicians, journalists, and activists are being pursued by Tunisian prosecutors. Numerous opposition figures have been sentenced to long prison terms.