Tunisia
Police raid radio officesPosted Feb 7 2009
Police raided the Tunis-based offices of Radio Kalima on Jan. 29, the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) reported. Editor-in-Chief Sihem Bensadrine told IPI that Radio Kalima began satellite broadcasts early this week, in addition to their previous web-only radio, and is convinced that this prompted the police assault.
According to IFEX, Bensadrine said police raided the radio studio and confiscated equipment including computers, recording equipment and cell phones. Police have also sealed the building and changed the locks.
“For us, [this] is obviously a way to silence this radio,” Bensadrine said. “I say, it's a fight against the future and the future is not with them. They can control all things on the land. They cannot control the sky, and for this reason they are reacting like this. We will continue broadcasting on satellite even after what happened today, and Radio Kalima will never be silenced.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also reported that during the raid, Dhafer Otay, a journalist at Radio Kalima, was detained for four hours by police and released without charge. Officers prevented others from entering the radio station.
The raided offices also house two human rights groups, the Observatory of Press, Publishing and Creative Freedom and the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia, according to CPJ.
More information
- International Freedom of Expression Exchange
- Committee to Protect Journalists