[WSIS CS-Plenary] IFEX-TMG press release - Tunisia
Steve Buckley
sbuckley at gn.apc.org
Tue Feb 22 13:20:57 GMT 2005
-francais ci-dessous-
International Freedom of Expression Exchange
Tunisia Monitoring Group
Press Release - 22/02/05
Tunisia: Freedom of Expression under Siege
International freedom of expression organizations today expressed grave
concern about the poor state of freedom of expression in Tunisia, host
country for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) which is to
be held in Tunis, November 2005.
A 60-page report on the state of freedom of expression in Tunisia and the
conditions for participation in the WSIS to be held in Tunis, November 2005
has been published today by the International Freedom of expression
Exchange Tunisia Monitoring Group, a group of 13 national, regional and
international freedom of expression organizations.
The report, released to coincide with the second Preparatory Committee for
the WSIS, in Geneva 17-25 February, sets out the findings of a mission to
Tunisia of freedom of expression groups. It makes a series of
recommendations to the Tunisian government to bring the country in line
with international human rights standards.
The main recommendations of the report are that the Tunisian government
should release all prisoners of opinion, end arbitrary administrative
detentions, release the cyber-dissidents of Zarzis and Ariana, end
harassment and assaults on human rights activists, stop blocking websites,
end censorship of books and newspapers, open up the press and broadcasting
sector, respect freedom of movement, assembly and association, allow
independent investigation of alleged cases of torture by the security forces.
-ends-
Further information:
Alexis Krikorian +41 79 214 5530
The full report is available at:
English http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/64665/
French http://www.ifex.org/fr/content/view/full/64664/
Notes:
1. The International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) is a global
network of 64 national, regional and international freedom of expression
organisations.
2. This report is based on a fact-finding mission to Tunisia undertaken
from 14 to 19 January 2005 by members of the IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group
(IFEX-TMG) together with additional background research and Internet testing.
3. The mission was composed of the Egyptian Organization of Human Rights,
International PEN Writers in Prison Committee, International Publishers
Association, Norwegian PEN, World Association of Community Radio
Broadcasters (AMARC) and World Press Freedom Committee.
4. Other members of IFEX-TMG are: ARTICLE 19, Canadian Journalists for
Free Expression (CJFE), the Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies
(CEHURDES), Index on Censorship, Journalistes en Danger (JED), Media
Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), and World Association of Newspapers (WAN).
5. The principle findings of the mission were:
- Imprisonment of individuals related to expression of their opinions or
media activities.
- Blocking of websites, including news and information websites, and police
surveillance of e-mails and Internet cafes.
- Blocking of the distribution of books and
publications.
- Restrictions on the freedom of association, including the right of
organizations to be legally established and to hold meetings.
- Restrictions on the freedom of movement of human rights defenders and
political dissidents together with police surveillance, harassment,
intimidation and interception of communications.
- Lack of pluralism in broadcast ownership, with only one private radio and
one private TV broadcaster, both believed to be loyal supporters of
President Ben Ali.
- Press censorship and lack of diversity of content in newspapers.
- Use of torture by the security services with
impunity.
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Echange international de la liberté d’expression (IFEX)
Groupe d’observation de la Tunisie
Communiqué de presse - 22/02/05
Tunisie: liberté d’expression assiégée
Des organisations internationales dédiées à la liberté d’expression ont
exprimé aujourd’hui leur grave inquiétude au regard de l’état actuel de la
liberté d’expression en Tunisie, le pays hôte du Sommet mondial sur la
société de l’information (SMSI) qui se tiendra à Tunis en novembre 2005.
Un rapport de 60 pages portant sur l’état de la liberté d’expression en
Tunisie et sur les conditions de participation au SMSI qui se tiendra à
Tunis en novembre prochain a été rendu public aujourd’hui par le groupe
d’observation de la Tunisie au sein d’IFEX, un groupe de 13 organisations
régionales, nationales et internationales de liberté d’expression.
Le rapport, rendu public à l’occasion de la deuxième réunion préparatoire
(Prepcom 2) du SMSI qui se tient à Genève du 17 au 25 février, fait suite à
une mission d’enquête du groupe d’Observation de la Tunisie en Tunisie. Ce
rapport avance un certain nombre de recommandations à l’adresse du
gouvernement tunisien afin que le pays se conforme aux standards
internationaux dans le domaine des droits de l’Homme.
Les principales recommandations du rapport sont les suivantes : le
gouvernement tunisien devrait rendre leur liberté à tous les prisoniers
d’opinion, mettre un terme aux détentions administratives arbitraires,
rendre leur liberté aux cyberdissidents de Zarzis et de l’Ariana, cesser le
harcèlement et les attaques à l’endroit des militants des droits de
l’Homme, arrêter de bloquer l’accès aux sites web, mettre un terme à la
censure des livres et des journaux, ouvrir le secteur audiovisuel,
respecter les libertés de circulation, d’assemblée et d’association et
autoriser la mise en place d’enquête sur les cas présumés de torture par
les forces de sécurité.
allege
-FIN-
Pour plus d’information :
Alexis Krikorian +41 79 214 5530
Le rapport complet est disponible ici :
Anglais : http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/64665/
Français : http://www.ifex.org/fr/content/view/full/64664/
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