Magharebia

A Tunisian court on Friday (February 12th) issued an early release for imprisoned journalist Zouhair Makhlouf, local and international press reported. "We do not know on what basis the Tunisian authorities made this surprise decision, but it is very good news," Makhlouf's lawyer told press. Makhlouf, jailed since October after reporting on the environment in the Nabul industrial region, was originally scheduled to be released February 19th. Tunisian authorities arrested Makhlouf, a legislative candidate who worked for the Progressive Democratic Party opposition newspaper Al-Mawkif, days before the October 25th Tunisian elections.