Tunisia groups slam state's attack on freedom of press

A group of 26 Tunisian organisations and associations have condemned the government’s targeting of freedom of the press and the enforcement of injunctions to stop speeches that criticise the state’s general policies.

In a joint statement published by the Syndicate of Journalists, the organisations expressed their full support for journalists Mohamed Bouglab, Monia Arfawy and all journalists and workers in professional media who are being prosecuted by government agencies for criticising public policies and exposing important files serving the public interest.

They warned of the repercussions of continuing to implement Decree 54 on digital rights and freedoms, explaining that its application would intimidate journalists from expressing their opinions, especially towards state agencies and policies.

The organisations urged the judicial authorities to “exclude these legislative texts”, which represent a “threat” to the principles of democracy and human rights, and “strike freedom of expression and freedom of journalistic work” calling on them to “disassociate” themselves from being used by the executive authority to restrict rights and freedoms and play their role in protecting it.

They also called on civil and political society activists to launch a national campaign to stop the implementation of Decree 54.

They noted that Bouglab’s prosecution is the third case targeting journalists and commentators using Decree 54, and that in November 2022 the director of Business News website Nizar Bahloul was prosecuted over an article criticising the policies of Prime Minsiter Najla Bouden’s government.

READ: Tunisia arrests 57 irregular migrants