Tunisian newspaper fined over footballer's nude girlfriend

A Tunisian court has fined a newspaper publisher for violating public morals by printing a photograph of a footballer's naked girlfriend.

Nasreddine Ben Saida was fined 1,000 dinars (£420) yesterday and the court ordered all copies of the issue destroyed.

Ettounsia newspaper published the photo, which first appeared in the German edition of GQ magazine, last week. It showed the Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, who is of Tunisian origin, embracing the German model Lena Gercke. He is wearing a dinner jacket, and his hand is resting on her breast.

Critics called the case an attack on media freedom.