(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Tunisian Prime Minister Hamed Karaoui, RSF has expressed its concern about the case of Taoufik Ben Brick, a correspondent in Tunis with the French daily “La Croix” and the French press agency SYFIA, who is the victim of harassment by the police. In the past several months, Ben Brick […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Tunisian Prime Minister Hamed Karaoui, RSF has
expressed its concern about the case of Taoufik Ben Brick, a correspondent
in Tunis with the French daily “La Croix” and the French press agency SYFIA,
who is the victim of harassment by the police. In the past several months,
Ben Brick has been the victim of various types of intimidation: anonymous
threatening phone calls, cut phone and fax lines, police surveillance, a
vandalised car, pressure during the course of questioning by the Ministry of
the Interior, etc. Since the confiscation of his passport by Tunisian
customs officials on 28 April, Ben Brick has been unable to travel abroad.
RSF asked the prime minister to “intervene in order to put an end to this
intimidation.”
**Updates IFEX alerts of 12 July, 27 May, 25 May, 20 May, 14 May, 28 April,
29 January and 13 January 1999 and 24 June 1998**
RSF brought these abuses to the attention of the minister of the interior,
in vain, in letters dated 13 and 29 January and 28 April 1999. On 4 May, RSF
sent a letter to President Ben Ali, informing him of the situation, without
receiving any response. Nor has there been any mitigation in the pressure on
Ben Brick, who can no longer exercise his profession freely and peacefully.
