“Freedom of expression is threatened in Tunisia.” This is what Amnesty International believes. This NGO notes a continuous increase in legal proceedings for publications on Facebook against Internet users. And this, because of the simple criticism of the authorities.
Indeed, a report made public today calls on the Tunisian authorities to immediately stop prosecuting people who have only exercised their right to freedom of expression online. The Amnesty report considers that the Tunisian authorities use widely outdated, excessively vague, and repressive laws.
Indeed, Amnesty International has found that at least 40 bloggers, administrators of well-followed Facebook pages, political activists, and human rights defenders were prosecuted between 2018 and 2020 for simply posting online content criticizing local authorities, the police and other state officials.
Amna Guellali, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, expresses her concern. For her, the situation is extremely worrying. Because, ten years after the revolution, bloggers and activists remain the target of criminal prosecution. The activist specifies that the legal proceedings are being carried out under laws dating from the time when Tunisia was living under a repressive regime.
“Instead of trying to silence criticism, the Tunisian authorities would do better to defend the right of everyone to express themselves freely. And safely without having to fear retaliation, ”she says.
A legislative priority
In this regard, the person in charge within the NGO affirms that “these legal proceedings threaten the progress made so far in the protection of human rights in Tunisia.” Thus, for her, the right to freedom of expression is one of the hard-won values of the revolution. Moreover, for this reason, the NGO calls “the legislative authorities to place at the rank of their priorities the reform of all the largely outdated and excessively vague laws which allow repression.” The objective is “in order to avoid a further step backwards and to fully respect Tunisia’s obligation to guarantee the right to freedom of expression.”
Indeed, Amnesty International calls on the Tunisian authorities to protect freedom of expression in Tunisia. And this, by dropping all charges against people targeted by investigations or prosecutions for the sole peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression. By stopping all criminal proceedings for offenses related to expression. In addition, the NGO proposes to instruct state agents to stop initiating or threatening to initiate such proceedings.
Moreover, Amnesty International’s campaign calls out to the Tunisian authorities. She calls to stop pursuing people. These are people who have only exercised their legitimate right to peaceful freedom of expression. She asks them to reform laws that threaten freedom of expression.
In addition, the organization also calls on Tunisian parliamentarians to reform as a matter of priority the legislative texts which criminalize as well as laws which otherwise limit legitimate expression. Defamation should be treated only as a civil law issue, she suggests.
