[WSIS CS-Plenary] WSIS follow-up

[Jean-Louis FULLSACK]

Dear all
Please find hereafter an information upon international federation of journalists' website access forbidden by the tunesian gouvernment, published by Balancing Act News Update, 8 january 2006 
Best
Jean-Louis Fullsack

* TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT BANS INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF JOURNALISTS WEB-SITE

The International Federation of Journalists today protested to the 
Tunisian government over the banning of the Federation?s web site. In 
recent weeks, following the World Summit on the Information Society in 
November when the IFJ sharply criticised restrictions on Internet use 
and harassment of human rights activists, the IFJ web site has been 
unobtainable.

"The Tunisian authorities continue to show intolerance of independent 
opinion and free expression," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. 
"But they are seriously mistaken if they think this will discourage 
journalists from expressing their solidarity with colleagues in Tunisia."

In a letter to President Ben Ali, IFJ says that all obstacles on the use 
of Internet technology and access to information should be lifted, 
except where they are in line with international standards which may 
limit access to anti-social sites, covering, for instance, child 
pornography or incitement to violence.

"The IFJ site is an information point for journalists around the world - 
including many in Tunisia and other Arab countries. Reporters want 
information about developments in the region and want to express their 
solidarity with colleagues," said White, pointing out that the IFJ site 
is available in French, Spanish and English and also has an extensive 
Arabic section. All of the content is uncontroversial, he said.

"It is impossible not to conclude that the sole reason for this ban is a 
political act of spite to penalise the Federation for defending the 
rights of all journalists in Tunisia and for its criticism of the 
authorities," he said. In an address to governments at the World Summit 
in Tunis White had said that harassment of rights activists and Tunisian 
restrictions on access to the Internet cast a shadow over the whole 
summit process.

He appealed to the President to lift the ban on access to the site 
immediately and reiterated demands that all restrictions on access to 
the Internet should be withdrawn.

If not, Tunisia will be once again be seen to be setting a poor example 
to the Arab world where people who yearn for more freedom and democracy 
are pressing their demands for reform,? he said.

The IFJ Executive Committee meeting in Sydney Australia at the beginning 
of December reiterated the Federation?s support for efforts by the 
Association of Tunisian Journalists and the Syndicate of Journalists, 
both members of the IFJ, who are striving to defend journalists? rights 
in difficult conditions. The IFJ has also called for a relaunching of a 
campaign for free speech in the country.
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