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Alert

Radio Kalima reporters harassed

(RSF/IFEX) - Faten Hamdi, a reporter from Radio Kalima, was attacked on 16 February 2010 at approximately 5:00 p.m. (local time), by two plain-clothes police officers in the Danden neighbourhood of Tunis.

"I was making a documentary for Radio Kalima on the public reaction to the rising commodity prices, including milk and sugar. I was with a student when two police officers exited a white vehicle and asked for our papers. They tried to force me into their car, but I struggled and got away. They struck me in the face and snatched my cell phone. They managed to take the student," a shocked Faten Hamdi told Reporters Without Borders.

The police officers drove the student to the Sproles police station. She was released after 45 minutes. Hamdi was able to retrieve her cell phone, but its memory had been erased. The journalist was previously assaulted on 24 November 2008.

On 13 February, another Radio Kalima journalist, Bel Nizar Hassan, was summoned to the Chebba police station, following the online publication of three videos. The journalist made a report on the demolition of houses in the Halq el-Oued neighborhood, for which he interviewed many local residents. The summons relates to a case that was closed in 2009.

On 12 February, independent journalists were prevented by police from welcoming Assabilonline journalist Zouhaïer Makhlouf's release from prison.