Tunisian parliamentarian sues Al Arabiya

A member of the Tunisian parliament and the owner of the private airline “Syphax,” Mohammed Frikha, plans to sue Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya TV news channel on the charge of publishing “false news and accusations of terrorist transportation to Syria.”

In a statement to Anadolu, Frikha said that these “false news and falsifications” were broadcast on  26 August in a programme called “Special Mission,” which deals with networks of transportation to Syria.

Frikha responded that “these charges affect the image of the member of the Tunisian People’s Assembly, the reputation of a Tunisian airline company and consequently causes moral and material damage. I will not allow myself, my company and my country to be influenced by any party, no matter how influential it is, and I strongly reject its use under a regional agenda in which Tunisia seeks neutrality,”

Frikha, a member of the Ennahdha Movement, plans to sue the channel in the Tunisian and international courts. He told Anadolu that he would hold a press conference soon to clarify the situation.

Earlier this year, Ennahdha movement announced its intention to prosecute those involved in promoting false news about the movement and its Member of Parliament, Mohammed Frikha.

Ennahdha accused unnamed parties of launching a campaign and targeting the movement as well as its member. Syphax Airlines ceased operating in July 2015 as a result of economic difficulties following terrorist attacks targeting the country’s tourism sector.

Read: Tunisia tightens restrictions on journalists