The president of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), Zied Dabbar, deplored the legal proceedings against 39 journalists outside the framework of Decree-Law No. 2011-115 of November 2, 2011, relating to freedom of the press, printing, and publishing.
“Journalists are not asking for immunity, they are asking for a law governing the profession of journalism,” said Dabbar during a press conference held Friday, May 4, 2024, at the SNJT headquarters to present the annual report on the situation of the freedom of the press in Tunisia.
In this report, published on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the SNJT warns against the multiplication of trials of journalists under repressive laws including the law relating to the fight against terrorism and the repression of money laundering, the Penal Code or even Decree-Law No. 2022-54 of September 13, 2022, relating to the fight against offenses relating to information and communication systems.
The report adds that 211 attacks against journalists, correspondents, and photographers were recorded between May 1, 2023, and April 30, 2024.
The president of the SNJT described the situation of journalists in Tunisia as “gloomy”, citing the difficulties they face in accessing information.
