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Alert

Amid worsening pre-summit tension, French TV crew pulls out crew because of "close surveillance"

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has reiterated its condemnation of the harassment and intimidation of journalists covering the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis after the French international television station TV5 Monde announced the withdrawal of a two-person team in Tunis because it had been "subjected to close surveillance."

Meanwhile, on 15 November 2005, the Tunisian authorities denied that a Belgian public television crew was attacked in Tunis the previous day.

"The Tunisian authorities have displayed flagrant hypocrisy by claiming that 'Tunisia has given the best possible welcome to the hundreds of journalists who have come from all over the world to cover the WSIS'," Reporters Without Borders said.

"Since 11 November, a 'Libération' journalist has been beaten and stabbed, a crew with the Belgian television station RTBF has been attacked and now, to cap it all, two TV5 journalists have been harassed," the press freedom organisation said.

The two TV5 Monde journalists, who had been preparing a report on European Union activity in Northern Africa, were subjected to "close surveillance by plainclothes agents," said the station's management. TV5 decided it had better repatriate the journalists to Paris even though they said they were not physically attacked or intimidated.