Tunisia
One journalist released, another assaultedPosted May 3 2010
Well-known Tunisian journalist Taoufik Ben Brik was released April 27 after serving a six-month sentence for alleged assault. He was sentenced Nov. 26, 2009. Because Ben Brik was an active critic of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and writes for several French publications, many believe the original arrest was prompted by political motivations.
According to previous reports by IPI, this is not the first time Ben Brik has faced arrest or intimidation. In 2008, his wife’s car was vandalized, and he received threats over the telephone before elections. Ben Brik’s four brothers have also been prosecuted in the past.
Many welcomed Ben Brik’s release not only because of his work in the journalism community but also because of his serious medical condition. While in prison, CPJ and IPI reported the journalist’s health had been unstable.
Days earlier, on April 24, another Tunisian journalist, Zouhair Makhlouf, was allegedly assaulted and arrested by police in his home. Makhlouf contributes to the news website Assabil Online.
Makhlouf told CPJ that police arrived at his home claiming that they had the right to arrest him. When Makhlouf asked the officers for a warrant, they proceeded to beat the writer, causing him to have a broken nose, black eye and bruises. According to IFEX.org, the entire attack occurred in front of Makhlouf’s family.
Makhlouf suspects he was arrested in order to stop a meeting with the head of the Paris Bar Association, Christian Charrière-Bournazel. The lawyer had been in Tunisia to speak with journalists and other activists, CPJ reported.
The writer is now on a 21-day medical leave, and although he planned on trying to prosecute the police, says he’s unsure if he will because of his lack of faith in the judiciary system. This is not Makhlouf’s first run in with the law. According to a previous update by Global Journalist, Makhlouf was recently jailed for more than three months after publishing an article about pollution in Nabeul.