Investigative journalists in North Africa are being hunted, hacked and harassed, but they haven’t stopped telling the truth
A troubling wind is blowing across the world. From Europe to the Middle East, authoritarian governments are tightening their grip on power, cracking down on dissent and diversity of opinion. In North Africa, this has translated into a menacing war on investigative journalists. But even under surveillance, threats and prison sentences, some still find the courage to write.
In Morocco, editor Soulaimane Raissouni was dragged from his home and jailed for five years on widely condemned charges. His crime? Investigating state corruption. He wasn’t alone. Fellow journalist Omar Radi was also targeted, both by police and Pegasus spyware. “They go after your private life to break you,” Raissouni said before his sentencing. He’s now out of prison, but his words remain a warning, as reported in this article by Imran Al Fasi (a pseudonym) for Global Investigative Journalism Network.
In Tunisia, once a post-Arab Spring beacon of hope, democracy is slipping fast. (The Committee to Protect Journalists has a database of attacks on journalists going back decades – for Tunisia, 2024 and 2025 are peak years over the entire dataset). A vague law against “false information” is being used to muzzle reporters. Walid Mejri, who leads the newsroom at Alqatiba, says people are now too afraid to talk. “Even speaking off the record is dangerous,” he told Al Fasi. Women journalists face an extra layer of threat of online harassment, professional exclusion and physical intimidation.
In Algeria, the message is clear: publish and perish. Reporters like Rabah Karèche and Belkacem Houam have been jailed for covering protests and food safety like reporting on land-use protests by members of the Tuareg tribe and Houam was jailed for reporting that 3,000 tonnes of exported Algerian dates were returned from France because they contained harmful chemicals.
“There is no space left for investigative journalism inside Algeria,” says Ali Boukhlef. “The only option is exile.”
In Libya, where militias run the streets, being a journalist is a matter of survival. Ahmed Al-Senussi was arrested after his outlet exposed COVID-19 vaccine corruption. He’s now in hiding. Other reporters use encrypted apps, aliases and foreign partners just to stay alive. “Every investigation is a calculated risk,” says one journalist. Still, they press on, exposing arms trafficking, financial crimes and state violence.
Despite the repression, these journalists are not backing down. Teams at Alqatiba and Inkyfada continue to publish major exposés from secret Dubai properties owned by Tunisian elites to EU-backed deportations of migrants. Their work has led to arrests, government investigations and public pressure.
North Africa’s investigative journalists are working in one of the world’s most hostile regions for press freedom but they are adapting, resisting and showing that the region’s truth tellers are still in pursuit of accountability.
Original article (“Unearthing Truths in Turbulent Times: The High Cost of Investigative Journalism in North Africa” by Imran Al Fasi (a pseudonym)) was published on 8 April 2025 on the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) website. It’s available in multiple languages (English, Arabic and French).
It is available here.
The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) is an international association of nonprofit organisations that support, promote and produce investigative journalism. GIJN provides resources, training and a network for journalists worldwide, particularly in environments where press freedom is under threat.
