In the wake of recent Presidential and parliamentary efforts to curb the freedom of expression in Tunisia, the IUF and our sister global unions are calling on the government of Tunisia to reverse course, respect the freedom of expression and stop the slide into totalitarianism.
- In September 2022, President Kais Saied signed Decree-Law 54 on combating crimes related to information and communication systems; in practice, the law has been used to restrict freedom of expression and to detain and threaten journalists and public figures for expressing criticism
- On June 16, Parliament announced that journalists will not be free to cover parliamentary debate and will only have access to official statements issued by Parliament
- On June 17, the Anti-Terrorism Court, part of the Tunisian Appeals Court, banned the media from publishing any news regarding 20 opposition leaders, lawyers, activists and journalists
Click here to read the full statement by the Global Unions.
Saber Tbini, General Secretary of IUF affiliate FGAT-UGTT, stated, “We call on the Tunisian authorities to respect the freedom of opinion and expression and to immediately cease the use of Decree 54 to imprison journalists and trade unionists; we further demand the immediate release of all political prisoners and trade unionists.”
