Freedom of Expression Under Siege - World Press Freedom ...

Among Tunisian rights defenders currently denied the right to leave the
country are Mokhtar Yahyaoui and Mohamed Nouri. The authorities
fabricated legal cases to prevent them from travelling. Human rights groups
believe that the legal cases are politically motivated and in violation of the
right to freedom of expression and movement.
The persons in charge of truly independent associations and political groups
whether acknowledged or not by the authorities seem to be regularly followed
by the Police.
6. Lack of pluralism in broadcast ownership, with only one private radio
broadcaster and one private TV broadcaster.
The decision made public by President Ben Ali on 7 November 2003 to open
the audiovisual sector to private initiative, for the first time since the
independence of the country, left many Tunisians indifferent.
Even the state-controlled Tunisian Association of Journalists (AJT) noted, in
its report on the state of the press in 2003, the lack of transparency which
characterized the decision to single out Radio Mosaique as the first private
radio station.
“It has been privileged to go on the air in the absence of general guidelines for
all candidates willing to establish a private radio station,” said AJT in its
report which was distributed mainly outside the country.
The Tunisian Human rights League (LTDH) said the Tunisian authorities
ignored Article 20 of the Communications Code which stipulates that
invitations to tender should be brought to the public attention via the press.
LTDH whose report “Media under Watch” has been prepared by a group of
independent journalists and a media expert, described Nour Eddine Boutar,
owner of Radio Mosaique, as “a former journalist for the daily Eshourouq who
has distinguished himself by his absolute and zealous allegiance to the power
in place.”
Radio Mosaique broadcasts four brief news bulletins per day and airs
President Ben Ali’s full speeches after consulting with the official news agency
TAP. During the electoral campaign in October 2004, the station favored
President Ben Ali over his challengers. Only information promoting Ben Ali
and his party was on air.
The announcement in February 2004 that the first private TV channel,
Hannibal TV, has started trial broadcasts raised more concerns about the
absence of transparency regarding the gradual privatization of the
broadcasting media. As in the case of Radio Mosaique, Tunisians were once
again kept in the dark about the guidelines and the criteria adopted by the
government in favour of Larbi Nasra, the apparent owner of Hannibal TV,
over other potential candidates.
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