Tunisia sentences journalists to one year in prison over alleged false news. Image credit: Rueters.
Tunisia, May 22, Epicstorian News –Two Tunisian journalists were on Wednesday sentenced to 1 year in prison over an alleged crime of publishing false news.
The two journalist, according a judicial official, were trailed by a Tunisian court on charges of writing false news that harms public security amid growing fears of a crackdown targeting all critical voices.
Reporters said both journalists with IFM radio, Mourad Zghidi and Borhan Bsaiss, “were detained this month over political comments made on the radio”.
Tunisia has now imprisoned a total of six journalists, including Zghidi and Bsaiss, while dozens of others face judicial prosecution, according to the journalists syndicate, which is the country’s main union for journalists.
In May, police arrested 10 people, including journalists, lawyers and officials of civil society groups, in what Amnesty International called a deep crackdown targeting activists and journalists. Human Rights Watch has called on Tunisia to respect free speech and civil liberties, Rueters said.
A Tunis court official, Mohamed Zitouna, stated that the the two journalists “made social media posts” that the judge had deemed harmful to the country’s public security.
“The judge decided to imprison them for a year following social media posts and radio comments that harm public security,” he said.
Lawyers for Bsaiss and Zghidi were not immediately available for comment.
One of the journalists, Bsaiss, during his trial session, told the court that his job was a “journalistic work”, and ,however, did not “think he deserved the court arraignment”.
“I am a program presenter who presents all issues, and what I did was journalistic work,” said Bsaiss.
The second Journalist, Zghidi, also argued in defense of himself during the trail, saying that only “worked in line with his professional requirements” and had made no mistake.
“I did not make a mistake. ….My work requires analyzing the political and economic situation…and I bear my responsibility,” he said.
Tunisian journalists, including Zied Dabbar, the leader of Tunisian Journalists Syndicate, assembled on court premises protesting against further restrictions being placed against journalists.
“Tunisia has become an open prison for journalists,” Zied Dabbar said.
