A Tunisian appeals court on Friday reduced the prison sentence of a television broadcaster from one year to eight months, his lawyer announced.
Borhen Bssais was initially convicted under a controversial decree that critics say is used to stifle dissent.
Bssais was arrested in May for allegedly attacking President Kais Saied through his broadcasts and statements between 2019 and 2022.
The charges were brought under Decree 54, a law enacted in 2022 to combat “false news.”
However, the legislation has been widely criticized for its potential to suppress freedom of speech.
The reduced sentence comes as Tunisia prepares for a presidential election in October.
Over the past year and a half, more than 60 individuals have faced prosecution under Decree 54, according to the National Union of Tunisian Journalists.
International human rights groups have expressed deep concern over the erosion of democratic freedoms in Tunisia.
Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard described the situation as an “alarming and distressing rollback” of the progress made since the 2011 revolution.
Callamard emphasized the decline of the justice system and the increasing number of arbitrary arrests and prosecutions in the country.