Tunis: The National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) said Tuesday that the monitoring unit of the Professional Security Centre recorded 14 attacks on journalists in March, out of 19 reports received through direct contacts, by monitoring the websites of media institutions, following programmes and news in the media or by monitoring social media.
According to the report issued by the Monitoring Unit, the attacks affected 23 professionals, including 20 journalists and 2 photojournalists, representing 14 media institutions (7 radio stations, 3 websites, 2 written newspapers, 1 television station and 1 news agency), noting that these media institutions include 1 confiscated institution, 8 private institutions, 4 public institutions and 1 community media.
In March, 6 attacks on journalists took place in Tunis, 3 in Nabeul, 2 each in Ben Arous and Kasserine, and 1 in Zaghouan.
The union called on the Prime Ministry to withdraw government circulars that prevent representatives of public institutions and bodie
s from providing timely and accurate information to the media, in particular Circular No. 19.
It also called on the Ministry of Justice to develop the capacity of judges in the field of human rights and press freedom by organising joint training sessions between them and journalists to further strengthen relations.
The SNJT also urged the judicial authorities to expedite a cassation session on the case of colleague Chadha Haj Mbarek, after the first session was postponed, ‘in order to stop the injustice against her,’ and to release journalist Mohamed Boughalleb and drop charges against him outside the framework of the law regulating the press.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse