The National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) called for a “boycott” of the plenary session of the Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP) devoted to the examination of the parliament’s rules of procedure.
Journalists are invited not to disseminate any information related to the plenary session devoted to the rules of procedure of the Assembly of People’s Representatives, the union said in a statement on Monday, urging them to “focus on this obstacle to the right to information.
Earlier in the day, the parliament announced that “only public media are allowed to cover the plenary sessions devoted to the examination of the draft rules of procedure”.
It added that the plenary sessions, which are due to start on Tuesday April 11, will be “broadcast live on the public television channel and on the parliament’s YouTube channel”.
The ARP stressed that “public, private and foreign media will be invited to designate their representatives to cover the work of the ARP, after adopting the rules of procedure.
In its statement, the union also called on all journalists to protest in front of the parliament on Tuesday, April 11 from 9:30 am “to defend their right of access to the parliament”.
It also called on MPs as well as civil and political forces to denounce “these retrograde practices” and “parachuted” decisions, inviting them to mobilise (…) and support journalists in their struggle for the respect of press freedom and the right of citizens to information.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse