alkhabar
Maghreb
Kamal Labidi of INRIC
"The body does not see the point in continuing its work and announces that it has terminated its work," said Kamel Labidi, who heads the National Body for the Reform of Information and Communication (INRIC).
"The body warns of the gravity of the situation in the realm of information and accuses the government of reverting to forms of censorship and disinformation," Labidi said.
"Since this government came to power, we have noticed the absence of concrete measures to reform the (media) sector," he added.
Labidi highlighted the ruling Ennahda party's failure to take note of an INRIC report in April that warned of the systematic destruction of the media.INRIC was created after the revolution that overthrew president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January last year to reform the media sector, and particularly state media organs, to guarantee Tunisia's previously restricted press freedom., AFP reports.
The Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LTDH) and 15 other Tunisian associations have warned against the threats to freedom of expression in Tunisia..
"Many indicators show that freedom of expression in Tunisia is in danger, in the absence of an institutional and legislative framework that guarantees this freedom."
In a joint statement, issued Tuesday, July 3, 2012, the associations argue that "the lack of implementation of decrees No 115 and 116 of 2011, had the effect of increasing violations against journalists and the profusion of national audiovisual media landscape by television channels with ideological agendas and funding sources unknown. " TAP reports.
This legal vacuum has, in the same statement, "hampered the examination of records of Tunisian promoters for applications for licenses for the establishment of radio stations and television."
The statement also criticized "the persistence of the government to make decisions and initiatives concerning the future of media, without consultation with relevant professional organizations, and use the services of a number of symbols of the old regime ".
The signatories of this release expressed their concern over the "succession of assaults against citizens, journalists, public enterprises, media institutions and local organizations of civil society, including the seats of regional unions work without the authors of these attacks are punished. "
They have also warned against "the risk to miss the opportunity to Tunisia to achieve the status of democratic country", urging all parties concerned with the rights and freedoms to "act and increased vigilance and commitment to defend freedom of expression and media independence with regard to all political and economic interest groups. "
The Associations reiterated their opposition to "all government attempts to dominate the media and convert them, again, into an instrument of propaganda and attacks against their opponents and opponents' and their refusal to" the forfeiture of the right of Tunisian citizens to free information, independent, pluralistic and meets international standards in this area. "
In their joint statement, the associations reported that "two months after publication of the General Report of the Forum for National Reform Information and Communication (INRIC), the government continues to ignore the suggestions and recommendations in this report. " "This raises legitimate questions about the future of media freedom and independence of media institutions in our country," they said.
The crisis within the Tunisian interim government has now deepened. What began with President Marzouki's protest over the extradition of the former Libyan prime minitser Baghdadi al Mahmoudi by the Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali and was followed by the resignation of Mohamed Abbou from his post as Minister of Public Service because he was not given the right to pursue corruption allegations by Hamadi Jebali . Mr Abbou is sceretary General of the Congress for the Republic (CPR), Prseident Marzouki's party.
The tension between islamists and secular members of Tunisian society has been growing since the formation of the interim government. The islamist Ennhada party leads the coalition with 42 per cent ofthe seats in the Consituent Assembly. It has failed to rein in the increasingly violent demonstrations by Salafist extremists who rioted and caused the government to institute a curfew a few weeks ago. The attacks against artisits and TV stations threaten the basis of Tunisia's secularist society and commentators accuse the islamist Ennhada party of trying to take over the different institutions. This accusation has been particularly pronounced from the press who says that the interim government has tried to prevent journalists from reporting the truth. The failure to take note of the INRIC report on press freedom recently attracted widespread criticism. The crisis which reflects the conflict between islamist and secular Tunisia and the fear that the islamists are trying to impose their views on society seems to be coming to a head.
"The body warns of the gravity of the situation in the realm of information and accuses the government of reverting to forms of censorship and disinformation," Labidi said.
"Since this government came to power, we have noticed the absence of concrete measures to reform the (media) sector," he added.
Labidi highlighted the ruling Ennahda party's failure to take note of an INRIC report in April that warned of the systematic destruction of the media.INRIC was created after the revolution that overthrew president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January last year to reform the media sector, and particularly state media organs, to guarantee Tunisia's previously restricted press freedom., AFP reports.
The Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LTDH) and 15 other Tunisian associations have warned against the threats to freedom of expression in Tunisia..
"Many indicators show that freedom of expression in Tunisia is in danger, in the absence of an institutional and legislative framework that guarantees this freedom."
In a joint statement, issued Tuesday, July 3, 2012, the associations argue that "the lack of implementation of decrees No 115 and 116 of 2011, had the effect of increasing violations against journalists and the profusion of national audiovisual media landscape by television channels with ideological agendas and funding sources unknown. " TAP reports.
This legal vacuum has, in the same statement, "hampered the examination of records of Tunisian promoters for applications for licenses for the establishment of radio stations and television."
The statement also criticized "the persistence of the government to make decisions and initiatives concerning the future of media, without consultation with relevant professional organizations, and use the services of a number of symbols of the old regime ".
The signatories of this release expressed their concern over the "succession of assaults against citizens, journalists, public enterprises, media institutions and local organizations of civil society, including the seats of regional unions work without the authors of these attacks are punished. "
They have also warned against "the risk to miss the opportunity to Tunisia to achieve the status of democratic country", urging all parties concerned with the rights and freedoms to "act and increased vigilance and commitment to defend freedom of expression and media independence with regard to all political and economic interest groups. "
The Associations reiterated their opposition to "all government attempts to dominate the media and convert them, again, into an instrument of propaganda and attacks against their opponents and opponents' and their refusal to" the forfeiture of the right of Tunisian citizens to free information, independent, pluralistic and meets international standards in this area. "
In their joint statement, the associations reported that "two months after publication of the General Report of the Forum for National Reform Information and Communication (INRIC), the government continues to ignore the suggestions and recommendations in this report. " "This raises legitimate questions about the future of media freedom and independence of media institutions in our country," they said.
The crisis within the Tunisian interim government has now deepened. What began with President Marzouki's protest over the extradition of the former Libyan prime minitser Baghdadi al Mahmoudi by the Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali and was followed by the resignation of Mohamed Abbou from his post as Minister of Public Service because he was not given the right to pursue corruption allegations by Hamadi Jebali . Mr Abbou is sceretary General of the Congress for the Republic (CPR), Prseident Marzouki's party.
The tension between islamists and secular members of Tunisian society has been growing since the formation of the interim government. The islamist Ennhada party leads the coalition with 42 per cent ofthe seats in the Consituent Assembly. It has failed to rein in the increasingly violent demonstrations by Salafist extremists who rioted and caused the government to institute a curfew a few weeks ago. The attacks against artisits and TV stations threaten the basis of Tunisia's secularist society and commentators accuse the islamist Ennhada party of trying to take over the different institutions. This accusation has been particularly pronounced from the press who says that the interim government has tried to prevent journalists from reporting the truth. The failure to take note of the INRIC report on press freedom recently attracted widespread criticism. The crisis which reflects the conflict between islamist and secular Tunisia and the fear that the islamists are trying to impose their views on society seems to be coming to a head.
