عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Amnesty International Denounces Tunisian Authorities' Clampdown on Media

Human rights activists accuse the authorities of suppressing freedom of expression under “Decree 54” approved by President Saied (EPA)
Human rights activists accuse the authorities of suppressing freedom of expression under “Decree 54” approved by President Saied (EPA)
TT
TT

Amnesty International Denounces Tunisian Authorities' Clampdown on Media

Human rights activists accuse the authorities of suppressing freedom of expression under “Decree 54” approved by President Saied (EPA)
Human rights activists accuse the authorities of suppressing freedom of expression under “Decree 54” approved by President Saied (EPA)

A crackdown by Tunisian authorities on journalists and media figures is "methodically annihilating" what little remains of the country's hard-won freedoms, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.

The rights groups said in a joint statement that authorities have "ramped up" their "repression of free speech" under Decree 54, a law against "false news", as the country readies for presidential elections set to take place this autumn.

"By attacking journalists and other media figures, Saied's government is moving to put the last nail in the coffin of Tunisia's civic space," Lama Fakih, Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa director, said, AFP reported.

The groups decried what they called the "undermining (of) the judiciary" in Tunisia.

This came as President Kais Saied dismissed more than 50 judges shortly after a sweeping power grab in 2021, while last year the government began a series of arrests that have most recently targeted political opponents and civil society figures.

"Tunisian authorities are methodically annihilating the last remaining gains of the 2011 revolution: freedom of expression and the press," Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa director, said in the statement.

Ahead of the elections, Morayef urged the government to "ensure that all Tunisians are able to freely express their views" and that "independent media are able to conduct their reporting free from harassment or intimidation".

Both groups called on authorities to "immediately release those detained and drop all prosecutions for expression".

They also called for the repeal of "Decree-Law 2022-54, along with vague or overbroad provisions of other existing codes that have been used to criminalise free expression".

The groups highlighted the cases of media figures Borhen Bssais and Mourad Zeghidi, who were sentenced last week to one year in prison, and the co-founder of independent media Inkyfada, who was sentenced to nine months in prison.

They also mentioned the forceful arrest of lawyer and political commentator Sonia Dahmani under the same decree, after masked police raided the Tunisian bar association headquarters on May 11 -- two days before they arrested a second lawyer.

According to the rights groups, "over 70 people, including political opponents, lawyers, journalists, activists, human rights defenders and social media users have been subjected to arbitrary prosecutions since the end of 2022".

"At least 40 remain arbitrarily detained as of May 2024, with most of them held in connection with the exercise of their internationally protected rights."

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Israel Seeks to Maintain Areas of Control and Influence in Syrian Territory

Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)
Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)
TT
TT

Israel Seeks to Maintain Areas of Control and Influence in Syrian Territory

Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)
Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)

Israel plans to maintain areas of “control” (occupation) and “influence” (intelligence) in Syrian territory, according to a new operational concept that security officials developed for the new reality in Syria that emerged following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Senior officials in Israel said that the country would need to maintain a 15 km operational perimeter within Syrian territory, where the Israeli army would maintain a presence to ensure that allies of the new regime couldn’t launch missiles toward the Golan Heights, according to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
They also noted the necessity of a “sphere of influence” extending 60 km into Syria, under Israeli intelligence control, to monitor and prevent potential threats from developing.
The new operational concept came a few days after Israeli officials confirmed that their forces will not withdraw from the border buffer zone and the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
Last week, the Kan public broadcaster said in an unsourced report that the new Syrian leadership has asked the US to pressure Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone.
Israeli officials told Kan that they have received no official request on the matter, adding that the Israeli army’s presence at and across the border is necessary to protect its security.
Last month, just hours after factions of the Syrian opposition swept president Bashar al-Assad from power, Israel captured the buffer zone, which was created following the Yom Kippur War of 1967. They also seized the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
During a visit to Mount Hermon last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that his troops would remain stationed inside Syria “until another arrangement can be found that guarantees Israel’s security.”
Also, Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks across Syria, saying the strikes were aimed at keeping military weapons away from extremists.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli official said that while Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's de facto leader, had sent messages to Israel claiming that his forces weren’t seeking conflict, Israel remained skeptical. “This might hold true for a year, two years, maybe even 10 or 20”, he said.
“But no one can guarantee that eventually, they won’t turn against us – and these are highly dangerous people. (Ahmed) Al-Sharaa’s current goal is to lift sanctions on Syria to bring in foreign funds. But in the long run, Israel must maintain a control zone and a sphere of influence in Syria,” the official said.
He also expressed hope that Israel would receive full backing against threats from Syria and Lebanon after the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
“In the meantime, we’ll have to remain there, ensuring a 15-km missile-free zone under our control, as well as a 60-km sphere of influence, to prevent threats from developing. We’re building an operational concept for this new reality,” he said.
Israel was also concerned about the potential entrenchment of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Syria, seemingly ignored by al-Sharaa, according to the newspaper.
“We won’t allow their establishment in Syria just as we prevented Iran’s foothold there,” the official said.
“We estimate that al-Sharaa prefers to keep them there so they can act against Israel, giving him plausible deniability,” he added.
These remarks came while Israeli officials were reportedly astounded by what they described as the West's “blindness” toward the regime of Ahmad al-Sharaa, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.