Tunisian authorities have arrested a blogger as he returned from a trip abroad weeks after he was convicted of defaming army officers, his lawyer said Thursday.

Tunisian authorities have arrested a blogger as he returned from a trip abroad weeks after he was convicted of defaming army officers, his lawyer said Thursday.

The military prosecutor said the blogger had been sentenced in absentia on November 18 to three years' jail on charges of having "defamed army officers and senior defense ministry officials".