Tunisia
Despite protests, critical journalists remain imprisonedPosted Feb 8 2010
A Tunisian court rejected the appeal of journalist Taoufik Ben Brik's six-month prison sentence on Jan. 30, citing last November's charges of assaulting a woman, property damage and defamation.
A seasoned critic of President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and regular contributor to the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur, Ben Brik denied the claims and said the ruling and original arrest are political rebukes for his commentaries leading up to October elections. Ben Brik was not brought to court to hear the original verdict, according to his family.
Ben Brik has a list of medical issues that are causing his family and advocates to worry about his well being for the six-month sentence. Along with having diabetes, Ben Brik also has Cushing’s syndrome, which requires constant monitoring and a clean environment.
Another Tunisian journalist, Zuhair Maklouf, has yet to be released from prison albeit the completion of his three-month sentence. According to human rights groups, Maklouf was charged after publishing an article that addressed issues of pollution in an area south of Tunis.
The recent rise in government attempts to curb criticism of President Ben Ali by silencing journalists has triggered free press organizations' and Western nations' close examination of Tunisia's commitment to democracy and human rights. And this international attention could further impact the country's global position. “Tunisia is sensitive to criticism from European Union countries because it is to apply soon to the EU for advanced status,” Reuters reported.
In contradiction to Brik’s sentence, Ben Ali, in an address to his cabinet on Jan. 22, said government “must respect different opinions and accept constructive criticism, while, at the same time, benefiting from sound suggestions and useful evaluations.”