Activists claim Tunisia is attempting to "erase" press freedom.
Human rights defenders have accused the Tunisian government of trying to "wipe out press and free speech" in North African nation of Tunisia. As the presidential election is coming up, authorities have escalated the "quashing of freedom of expression", as stated in a joint statement issued by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Authorities have been targeting journalists and other media representatives, said Lama Fakih, HRW's North Africa Director. She added that these actions are "finishing the job" of deleting Tunisia's civil society.
Both organizations urged the government to revoke a 2022 decree initiated by President Kais Saied on "spreading false news." They also demanded that the government halt the "criminalization of free speech" by using "vague or overly broad interpretations" of other texts.
Heba Morayef, Amnesty's North Africa Director, stated that the Tunisian authorities are "diligently dismantling the last achievements of the 2011 revolution, namely freedom of expression and the press."
Tunisia, which in 2011 toppled its previous ruler and became the first of several North African nations to initiate the so-called Arab Spring, used to be a model for the regional democratization movement. In 2019, Saied was elected President. In 2021, he dissolved the government and parliament using a state of emergency clause. He then amended the constitution to enhance his power.
HRW and Amnesty stated that more than 70 people have faced "arbitrary prosecution" since the end of 2022. These individuals included political opponents, lawyers, journalists, activists, and internet users. Out of these, at least 40 remain in prison, the organizations noted. Representatives of refugee relief organizations have also been arrested in recent times, they added.
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