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International Free Speech Groups Urge Tunisia to End Internet Censorship







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International Freedom of Expression Exchange Clearing House (Toronto)
PRESS RELEASE
July 14, 2005
Posted to the web July 15, 2005
New Website Documents Extensive Free Expression Violations
International free expression groups today launched a new website detailing the state of free expression in Tunisia and challenged the government to end Internet blocking in the lead-up to the November 2005 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
The Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG), a coalition of 13 organisations belonging to the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), says Tunisia should show its commitment to upholding the principles of freedom of expression by ceasing the practice of blocking news and information websites that are critical of the Tunisian government.
"The information society of the future must be founded on free expression," says Steve Buckley of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC). "That principle has been accepted by the governments of the world in preparing for the summit. It is intolerable that the host nation, Tunisia, remains a significant violator of free expression."
The free expression organisations have documented systemic Internet censorship by Tunisian authorities. According to the TMG website - http://campaigns.ifex.org/tmg - government censors routinely block access to at least 20 websites that provide independent news and analysis about human rights and political issues in Tunisia. They include kalimatunisie.com, tunezine.com, tunisnews.net and reveiltunisien.org.
"The Tunisian government must demonstrate their commitment to freedom of expression by allowing Tunisian citizens to visit the TMG website, and any other website covering human rights and political issues," says Mark Bench of the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC).
The website contains a report by the TMG, "Tunisia: Freedom of Expression under Siege," which documents serious free expression and other human rights abuses in Tunisia, including:
* The use of torture by security services;
* Imprisonment of hundreds of individuals on charges related to the peaceful exercise of their basic right to freedom of expression and association;
* Bans on dozens of books and publications that contain human rights information or pro-democracy writings;
* The harassment of civil society organisations and independent journalists.
The TMG says these abuses call into question Tunisia's suitability for hosting the WSIS. In a letter to President Ben Ali on 25 June 2005, the group called for an end to the abuses and for measures to improve human rights, including:
* The immediate release of lawyer Mohamed Abbou and Hamadi Jebali, editor of the banned weekly Al-Fajr;
* An end to arbitrary administrative sanctions and unrelenting police harassment against journalist Abdallah Zouari;
* The lifting of bans on all books and publications, including those written by prominent democracy advocates like Mohamed Talbi and Moncef Marzouki; and
* An end to the harassment of civil society groups, including the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia, the Tunis Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Association for the Struggle against Torture.
"The credibility of the WSIS will be seriously compromised and the Tunisian authorities will assume a huge responsibility in the eyes of the international community if effective measures are not taken immediately to improve free expression conditions," says Buckley.
The TMG website is available at: http://campaigns.ifex.org/tmg
The IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group includes:
ARTICLE 19, UK
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)
Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR)
Index on Censorship, UK
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Belgium
International Publishers' Association (IPA), Switzerland
Journaliste en danger (JED), Democratic Republic of Congo
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Namibia
Norwegian PEN
World Association of Newspapers (WAN), France

I say opinion unless directed against an individual should never be censored

Opinion should be censored at social events, when one may make an ass out of oneself by assuming everyone is of one's own opinion.

An opinion needs censorship when it differs from my own.

But what about Tunisia
Doesn't anyone care

Originally posted by FeceMan
Opinion should be censored at social events, when one may make an ass out of oneself by assuming everyone is of one's own opinion.

why on earth are they hosting a conference on expression if they have such laws against it.. i mean are there going to be censoed press releases detailing what happened at this 'expression' conference?

oxymoron from hell

wow

Originally posted by PVS
wow

Isn't internet censorship/freedom of speech something left up to administrators, or is the internet consider a public domain, even if the websites are privately owned and operated?

Ruminate.

depends.. china is now cracking down on what is said on the net there.. if you dont register with the govt online so that you can be tracked for what you say online then and things befall you

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8131497/

By rights opinion should be free (and it is in ones mind) unless it is purposely harmful or cruel towards something. Like racist opinions. But even then people are allowed such opinions, they just can't force them on others.

But then it is worse in places around the world where freedom of speech is nonexistent.

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
Isn't internet censorship/freedom of speech something left up to administrators, or is the internet consider a public domain, even if the websites are privately owned and operated?

Ruminate.

So you think whats going on in Tunisia is OK?

Not at all, I was referring to Internet Privacy Acts in general. But, since it's government, it's a whole different story.

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
Not at all, I was referring to Internet Privacy Acts in general. But, since it's government, it's a whole different story.

Fair enough but internet privacy acts are regulated by local laws, you can be prosecuted for viewing or sending somewhere else in the world if it is against your local laws, regardless of disclaimers etc. Owners of said Websites may well have civil obligations to said users.

empty opinions filled only with hate need censorship.

Originally posted by ragesRemorse
empty opinions filled only with hate need censorship.

I may agree with this, specify please rages, an example would be nice

yeah, an example probably would be nice ay

when an opinion leaves the realm of debate and is nothing more than spite. arguing opinions is already nearly useless, but it can open up new avenues of thought.

Originally posted by ragesRemorse
yeah, an example probably would be nice ay

when an opinion leaves the realm of debate and is nothing more than spite.

Yes I agree Spite is pretty bad, but often the spiteful look foolish, censoring there response would prevent this

i dont mind people looking foolish though, just hearing there empty opinions.

So in relation to the Tunisia situation wuld you say thats wrong.

I would. If someone denied my cable access channel, I'd be up in arms.