Tunisian court releases prominent radio director from prison

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s most popular private radio station says an appeal court has allowed its director to be released on bail from prison, after more than three months of detention. Mosaique FM announced Wednesday that its director, Noureddine Boutar, was freed after the appeal court ordered a bail of one million dinars (about $323,500) and a travel ban. The reasons behind the decision have not been made public. Boutar was arrested in February on suspicion of money laundering and illicit enrichment, according to his lawyers. One of his lawyers, Ayoub Ghedamsi, said he was imprisoned because he was critical of the government. The move comes amid a wave of arrests of opponents of the Tunisian president, Kais Saied. Rights groups have denounced a growing crackdown on dissent.