Tunisia-SNJT: Hichem Mechichi declared his opposition to media freedom

The National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT)  considered that the withdrawal of the bill on the freedom of audiovisual communication by the government is a “sudden and irresponsible” action taken by prime minister Hichem Mechichi.

This will pave the way for the adoption of the draft revision proposed by the Al-Karama coalition on the eve of the draft review session.

The union announced in a statement that the decision goes counter to the principle of state continuity and to devotions by the Tunisian government and state to support legislation on freedom of the press and audiovisual communication.

It emphasised that this decision represents Mechichi’s complicity with the parties directly benefiting from the revision of Decree 116 and support for illegal media institutions “who speak in the name of the parliamentary troika”.

“It aims to achieve narrow political and patronage objectives that have nothing to do with the country’s interest and the interest of the media scene in Tunisia,” it added.