Tunisia media authority rejects government’s authoritarian behaviour

The Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HAICA) in Tunisia expressed its rejection of the government’s “authoritarian behaviour” in an official statement on Friday.

HAICA is an independent constitutional body responsible for regulating and amending the audiovisual media sector and ensuring its plurality, diversity, balance and independence of its means. In addition, it works to guarantee freedom of expression within the framework of respecting legal limits, according to its website.

HAICA’s statement reads: “The Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication is concerned with recording its position rejecting this authoritarian approach that goes against the human rights system.”

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It alerted: “Members of Parliament to the dangerous practices that marred the opening session and other sessions, and lead to restricting the freedom of journalists to perform their duties,” calling on them to: “Defend the advances in the freedom of expression and the media, and the right of citizens to access information.”

It also stressed its rejection of what: “Journalists in the public and private sectors are subjected to in terms of abuse, intimidation and their declining right to expression.”

The authority stressed it: “Will continue its work against every attempt to harm freedom of expression, despite the pressures placed on it and the administrative limit imposed on its work.”

As of 19:30 GMT, there was no immediate comment from the authorities on HAICA’s statement.

On Tuesday, the presidency of the Tunisian Parliament announced that the media would be allowed to cover its sessions, a day after its speaker Brahim Bouderbala announced that representatives of private and foreign media would be banned from covering the session. This came after dozens of Tunisian journalists staged a protest in front of Parliament, rejecting the decision to prevent local and foreign journalists from covering it.

The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists considered the ban a “clear violation” of the Tunisian Constitution and: “Establishes the blackout policy previously pursued by the executive authority and continues to be implemented by the legislative authority.”

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