24 January 2007
NEW U.N. CHIEF URGED TO CALL ATTENTION TO CENSORSHIP IN TUNISIA
An international coalition of free expression groups has urged new U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to remind Tunisia of its obligations under international law to respect freedom of expression and other human rights.
The IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group (IFEX-TMG) says more than one year after Tunisia hosted the U.N.-sponsored World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the state of free expression is as poor, if not poorer, now than it was when the conference was held in November 2005.
"Tunisia, since being an elected member of the newly-created United Nations Council of Human Rights, has an obligation to respect its international commitments in the field of freedom of expression," the IFEX-TMG members said in a letter to Ban.
Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan had stated that holding the WSIS conference in Tunisia "offered a good opportunity for the Government of Tunisia to address various human rights concerns, including those related to freedom of opinion and expression."
However, Tunisia attracted international criticism for preventing civil society activists from expressing views critical of the government during the conference.
In the 14 months since the WSIS, many writers, journalists, editors and human rights defenders continue to be harassed by Tunisian authorities, including Sihem Bensedrine, Naziha Rjiba, Moncef Marzouki, Lotfi Hajji and Abdallah Zouari.
The IFEX-TMG has also called for the immediate release of jailed Internet writer and lawyer Mohammed Abbou, who is currently serving a three-and-a-half year prison sentence for criticising Tunisian President Ben Ali in an article posted on the Internet.
The IFEX-TMG, comprised of 16 member organisations of IFEX, campaigns to raise international awareness of free expression violations in Tunisia.
Visit these links:
- Letter to Ban Ki-Moon: http://campaigns.ifex.org/tmg/TMG_LettertoBankiMoon_Jan2006.doc
-UN Reply to TMG: http://campaigns.ifex.org/tmg/UN_reply_toTMG_March07.doc
- IFEX-TMG press release: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/80526/
- IFEX-TMG: http://campaigns.ifex.org/tmg
- IFEX Alerts on Tunisia http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/1449/
- Controversy Blights U.N. Summit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4450474.stm
- UN: http://www.un.org/News/ossg/
(UN Photo:Ryan Brown)
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