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Tunisians sue their president for defamation

June 3, 2014 at 11:37 am

A number of Tunisian citizens have filed a lawsuit against their country President Moncef Marzouki accusing him of describing Tunisians as “ignorant”, AFP reported a Tunisian judicial source as saying yesterday.

The source, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said: “Last week, we received a defamation complaint against President Moncef Marzouki signed by around 80 people.”

One of the complainants Moez Ali told AFP that they had accused Marzouki of “treating Tunisians as ignorant at an official ceremony and in front of foreign ambassadors.” Ali referred to Marzouki’s speech delivered on May 26 celebrating African Day, which marks the founding of the Organisation of African Unity.

In that speech, Marzouki said: “I always laugh when I hear Tunisians say, when they are going to Senegal or Burkina Faso that they are leaving for Africa.”

He continued: “I laugh because I consider that these comments reflect their [Tunisians] deep ignorance of the fact that this term ‘Ifriguia’, which gave its name to the African continent, is an Amazigh [Berber] word signifying northwest Tunisia.”

A copy of the president’s speech was published on the official presidential Facebook page.

Based on the text of the lawsuit, seen by AFP, the Marzouki’s words were deemed “defamatory… and constituted an insult to others”. In addition, the complainants wrote: “This remark defames and insults all of Tunisians, it touches our honour.”

The lawsuit considered this defamation based on article 55 in the decree 115 issued in 2011 regarding the freedom of press and the defamation of others through public communication means.

Complainants called for prosecuting the defendant by the criminal court. Ali said it was “unacceptable” that the president, who represents the Tunisian people, “allows himself to describe them as ignorant, especially in front of foreign guests”.

The Tunisian presidency made no comment.