Member of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) Amira Mohamed and Vice-President of the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH), Bassem Trifi, were banned from accessing the national television establishment on Wednesday, July 28, 2021.
Amira Mohamed said on her Facebook account that the Presidency of the Republic had dismissed any involvement in this incident while the CEO of National Television had cited”orders for security reasons”. She added that she would stay with Mr Trifi outside the establishment condemning an attempt by the authorities to muzzle National Television.
After two hours, the show held on and it was broadcast live. Ms Amira told the anchor that the CEO of Television told her that it was a Colonel Major who gave the directions, considering this to be quite serious.
For his part, the attache of the Presidency of the Republic, Walid Hajjem affirmed that he talked by telephone with Ms Amira, emphasising that there is no question of threatening freedom of expression and press as well as Human Rights.
“The freedom of the press is respected within the framework of the law, the Presidency of the Republic has not issued these instructions and this confusion will not occur again! », He explained. “There are efforts to blur relationships between the Presidency of the Republic and the public and private media”, he added.
The situation in Tunisia is crucial, we are counting on your understanding,” he continued.
Likewise, the spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamed Zekri revealed that: “The military forces are deployed only to preserve the public institution”.
In addition, Zekri dismissed the CEO’s remarks that the chief of the forces there is a Colonel Major and that the one who refused access to the two officials is not a soldier.
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