Demonstration comes after two Tunisian commentators critical of President Saeid were sentenced to prison
 |
| Tunisians block a street during a demonstration in Tunis to protest against spate of arrests under a presidential decree critics say is being used to stifle dissent [Sofiene Hamdaoui/AFP |
Several hundred Tunisians marched through the capital, Tunis, chanting "down with the dictatorship" in protest of a spate of arrests under a presidential decree that critics argue is being used to stifle dissent.
Since Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, the country has been considered among the more open media environments in the Arab world. However, politicians, journalists, and unions claim that press freedom has faced a serious threat under President Kais Saied, who came to power following free elections in 2019.
Recently, two Tunisian media figures received one-year jail sentences for making comments deemed critical by the authorities. These prosecutions are the latest under Decree 54, issued by Saied in 2022, which bans the "spreading of false news."
"Down with the decree," chanted demonstrators as they marched through Tunis on Friday. "Dictator Kais, it’s your turn now," they added, referencing the Arab Spring uprising that toppled longtime leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
Two years after his election, Saied shut down the elected parliament and began ruling by decree. He also assumed authority over the judiciary, a move that the opposition called a coup. Since then, many of his critics have been prosecuted or jailed.
On Wednesday, broadcaster Borhen Bsaies and political commentator Mourad Zeghidi were both sentenced to one year in jail — six months for spreading "false news" and an additional six months for "spreading news that includes false information with the aim of defaming others." Zeghidi’s lawyer, Kamel Massoud, condemned Decree 54 as "unconstitutional," stating, "When politics enters the courtroom, justice leaves."
Tunisia has now imprisoned a total of six journalists, including Bsaies and Zeghidi, since Decree 54 came into force. Additionally, more than 60 journalists, lawyers, and opposition figures have been prosecuted under the same decree, according to the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists.
In May, police arrested 10 people, including journalists, lawyers, and civil society group officials, in what Amnesty International called a "deep crackdown" targeting activists and journalists. Human Rights Watch has called on Tunisia to respect free speech and civil liberties.
In January, Tunisian authorities also arrested journalist Samir Sassi on "terrorism" allegations. These arrests have drawn criticism from the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, and Tunisia’s former colonial ruler, France.
Saied has dismissed the criticism as foreign "interference" and rejected accusations of authoritarian rule, stating that his actions are aimed at ending years of "chaos and corruption" in the country.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment