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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)
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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."

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UN Envoy: What We See in Syria is a Mark of Collective Failure

Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015 (UN archive)
Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015 (UN archive)
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UN Envoy: What We See in Syria is a Mark of Collective Failure

Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015 (UN archive)
Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015 (UN archive)

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said on Sunday he is closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Syria, where a dramatic shift in frontlines was seen in recent days.
“What we see in Syria today is a mark of a collective failure to bring about what has plainly been required now for many years – a genuine political process to implement Security Council resolution 2254,” the envoy said in a statement.
Pedersen noted that in Syria, a country torn by nearly 14 years of war and conflict, the latest developments pose severe risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security.
As an immediate priority, he said, “I strongly emphasize the urgent need for all to uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
“This is a clear message to all parties engaged in hostilities of any kind. I will continue to push for civilian protection and deescalation,” the envoy added.
Pedersen then recalled the times he repeatedly warned of the risks of escalation in Syria, of the dangers of mere conflict management rather than conflict resolution, and the reality that no Syrian party or existing grouping of actors can resolve the Syrian conflict via military means.
“I call for urgent and serious political engagement – among Syrian and international stakeholders - to spare bloodshed and focus on a political solution in accordance with Security Council resolution 2254,” he said.
The envoy then affirmed his will to continue to engage all parties and stand ready to use my good offices to convene international and Syria stakeholders in new and comprehensive peace talks on Syria.
Presented by the US, Resolution 2254 was adopted by the Security Council on 18 December 2015.
It emphasizes the need for all parties in Syria to take confidence building measures to contribute to the viability of a political process and a lasting ceasefire, and calls on all states to use their influence with the Syrian government and the opposition to advance the peace process, confidence building measures and steps towards a ceasefire.
The resolution also expresses support for a Syrian-led political process that is facilitated by the UN and, within a target of six months, establishes credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance and sets a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution.
Since the adoption of the resolution, Geneva has hosted several meetings of the parties involved in the conflict in Syria. However, those parties failed to reach an agreement, especially after Moscow established in 2017 the Astana dialogue followed in 2018 by the Sochi process.
Resolution 2254 calls on the release of any arbitrarily detained persons, particularly women and children, and on the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) states to use their influence immediately to these ends.
It demands that all parties immediately cease any attacks against civilians and civilian objects as such, including attacks against medical facilities and personnel, and any indiscriminate use of weapons, including through shelling and aerial bombardment.