Intimidation of journalists in Tunisia is an attempt to muzzle dissent voices and systematically destroy press freedom

Stockholm- Skyline International for Human Rights is deeply concerned over the intimidation compagin against journalists in Tunisia by the country's security authorities; to silence them in a systematic manner that threatens press freedom.

In statement issued today, Thursday, March 31, 2022, Skyline states that that it had received a complaint from journalist Wejdan Bouabdallah, editor-in-chief of Tunigate website, confirming that she and her organization had been indirectly intimidated and threatened against the backdrop of their coverage of events and activities, the most recent of which was President Qais Saeed's frozen parliamentary session, which was held electronically, followed by Saeed's decision to dissolve the entire council.

Journalist Bou Abdallah told Skyline, "Since the coup (President Kais Saied's rule over all authorities in the country on July 25, 2021 with extraordinary measures that violate the Constitution), there have been threats and the work team was beaten in the demonstrations, and this matter was bypassed."

She explained that she learned through reliable sources that she and her institution had been blacklisted, against the backdrop that the news site she managed had broadcast the People's Parliament session and that there had been a decision to prosecute the institutions that had reported on the session, which the country's president considered a conspiracy against the state.

She further said, "We did not commit a crime when we brodcasted the parliamentary session. I hold Kais Saied responsible for the safety of my journalistic staff at Tunigare and all foreign journalists and correspondents in the country. We publish different points of view and we work legally according to the requirements of the Tunisian Constitution, and President Said or other official bodies have rights to restrict our work or punish us because of what we publish."

She pointed out that the intimidation policies that the institution is facing are having a serious impact on the work, and emphasised that 3 journalists from the working team have asked for leave because they were afraid, and that she cannot blame them for that.

Skyline consideres that the direct and indirect intimidation and threats to which journalist Wejdan Bou Abdallah and other journalists in Tunisia have been subjected since the president seized all power in the country constitute a case of apostasy from the democratic state that Tunisia experienced after the revolution. Moreover, Skyline stresses that it is a systematic process with the official will of the current regime, aimed at silencing the opposition and even professional voices and reviving self-censorship to silence journalists for the sake of their lives and personal safety, which is a violation of the freedom of journalistic work.

The human rights founsation Skylinne points out that many journalists continue to be arrested, detained and threatened, and some of them have been tried in military courts and other civilians since July 25 last year, all as part of an escalating approach to restricting freedoms, silencing and intimidating journalists.

In this context, Skyline says that due to this situation, which threatens the freedom of journalistic work in the country, the Tunisian Journalists Syndicate decided on the second of April to launch a general strike in the public media to reject "the President's attempts to control the public media and the insistence of the authority to marginalize the sector," fearing for the freedom of expression emerged from the 2011 revolution.

At the end of its statement, Skyline calls on Tunisian authorities to cease practices that violate Tunisia's international obligations regarding press freedom and the right to freedom of expression and opinion, and calls on civil society to unite and defeat this attempt.