(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, RSF expressed concern and indignation at an attempt to murder Riad Ben Fadhel, former editor of the Arabic-language version of the French monthly publication, “Le Monde diplomatique”. RSF reminded the president that it was his duty to “guarantee the physical safety of citizens […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, RSF expressed concern and indignation at an attempt to murder Riad Ben Fadhel, former editor of the Arabic-language version of the French monthly publication, “Le Monde diplomatique”. RSF reminded the president that it was his duty to “guarantee the physical safety of citizens of his country and ensure that those responsible for this attempted murder are found and punished”. The organisation called for the investigation to be put in the hands of truly independent examining magistrates. RSF also asked for foreign press correspondents and representatives of national and international human rights organisations to be allowed to visit Ben Fadhel to find out more about his condition and make sure that he was safe. In its letter to President Ben Ali, RSF added: “This criminal act constitutes a threat and a warning to all those who dare to question the police regime in Tunisia.”
According to information obtained by RSF, during the morning of 23 May 2000 Riad Ben Fadhel was struck by two bullets outside his home in the suburbs of Carthage. He is currently in the intensive care unit at the Ettaoufik Clinic in Tunis, under close police surveillance, and is banned from receiving visits.
The murder attempt came after the French daily “Le Monde” published an opinion piece by Riad Ben Fadhel headlined “Let’s get rid of the Carthage syndrome” on 21 May. In it, the former editor of “Le Monde diplomatique” directly accused the Tunisian president over his handling of the case of Taufik Ben Brik, the Tunisian journalist who recently ended a forty-two day hunger strike in protest at official harassment of himself and his family. Ben Brik was also demanding to be allowed to travel and work freely (See IFEX alerts of 9 and 1 May, 27, 24, 14, 12, 11, 10, 6 and 4 April 2000). Ben Fadhel wrote: “This case was handled from Carthage. And not by just anyone, but by the leader of the Tunisians, President Ben Ali himself!”
