Share

Amnesty urges Tunisia to uphold online freedom of expression

0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
  • Amnesty International urged Tunisian authorities to stop using "largely outdated, overly broad and repressive laws" to crack down on freedom of expression online.
  • The rights group said that since 2018, at least 40 people have faced criminal prosecution for "publishing online posts critical of local authorities, the police or other state officials".
  • It said those targeted included "bloggers, administrators of widely followed Facebook pages, political activists and human rights defenders".


Amnesty International on Monday urged authorities in Tunisia to stop using "largely outdated, overly broad and repressive laws" to crack down on freedom of expression online.

Freedom of speech is seen as one of the most solid achievements of the North African nation's 2011 revolution that ousted longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The UK-based rights group said that since 2018, at least 40 people have faced criminal prosecution for "publishing online posts critical of local authorities, the police or other state officials".

It said those targeted included "bloggers, administrators of widely followed Facebook pages, political activists and human rights defenders".

Amnesty charged that while most of the cases failed to lead to prison sentences, the legal proceedings amounted to "harassment and intimidation" and would have "a chilling effect".

"It is extremely disturbing to see bloggers and activists being targeted with criminal prosecutions under laws that date back to the time of repression in Tunisia 10 years after the revolution," said Amna Guellali, Amnesty's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"These prosecutions threaten the human rights progress made so far in Tunisia where the right to freedom of expression is a hard-won value of the revolution," she said in a statement.

Tunisia is seen as a rare democratic success story of the Arab Spring uprisings that broke out almost a decade ago.

The rights group also released a report on Monday and charged that Tunisia's interior ministry "openly threatens to prosecute people for legitimate criticism of police conduct".

It also cited a "steady increase of prosecutions for Facebook posts that reveal cases of alleged corruption, criticise the authorities, or are deemed to 'insult' officials online".

Amnesty urged Tunisian authorities to prioritise the reform of "largely outdated and overly broad laws that allow repression" and to cease all action against individuals peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 545 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 779 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.89
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.84
+0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE