Tunisia

Allowing the prosecution of civilians before a military tribunal is a violation of the right to a fair trial and due process guarantees, said Human Rights Watch.

Rights groups condemn continued incitement by opposition figures for foreign intervention into the country’s affairs, and the unabated attacks on journalists.

In recent weeks, three parliament members have been imprisoned for speech offenses, and at least 50 Tunisians have been placed under arbitrary house arrests, including former officials, a judge, and three lawmakers.

Reforming the democratic process will be doomed to failure if Tunisians are muzzled and journalists are denied the right to ethically and professionally do their job, say Tunisian rights groups.

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the raid and calls on authorities to unconditionally allow Al-Jazeera’s Tunis bureau to resume operations and let all journalists in the country work freely.

A number of IFEX members join rights groups in welcoming the Tunisian government’s decision to rescind a controversial appointment to the country’s national news agency, Tunis Africa Press (TAP), and call on those who ordered a police attack on the agency’s journalists during a peaceful sit-in to be held accountable.

New research from IFEX member 7amleh examines how digital rights policies and practices in Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia are impacting freedom of expression and the right to information, and highlights the need to improve people’s access to a safer online environment.

Amidst an ongoing campaign of increased persecution and abuses, Tunisian LGBTI activists are targeted by security forces during protests, and face online harassment in violation of their right to privacy and free expression.

The proposed amendment to the law is a serious threat to freedom of expression and a setback to the achievements that Tunisia has made in this field since its adoption. Parliament should instead expedite the adoption of a new law in accordance with the Constitution’s provisions.

The signatory associations warn against the dangers of this initiative to amend the law. It constitutes a new episode in a long-running soap opera, intended to make the media landscape more chaotic, and subject to domination by certain parties and political and financial pressure groups.

IFEX member Advox bids farewell to Tunisian blogger and human rights activist, Lina Ben Mhenni, who dedicated her life to a free and just Tunisia.

How unconstitutional laws are criminalising peaceful speech in post-revolution Tunisia.

Tunisia has secured greater press freedom than many of the Arab Spring countries, but local journalists told CPJ that with elections slated for this year, challenges including funding, transparency, and government pressure remain.

Tunisian authorities are confiscating and searching the phones of men they suspect of being gay and pressuring them to take anal tests and to confess to homosexual activity.

Impunity for abuses committed by security forces and police unions “is almost becoming a norm,” according to the syndicate of Tunisian journalists.

Tunisian civil society organisations express serious concern at a trend in recent attempts at legislation.