The National Union of Tunisian Journalists disclosed today, Wednesday, that it will take legal action to appeal the Independent High Authority for Elections’ decision to remove journalist Khawla Boukrim’s accreditation.
The ISIE decided yesterday, Tuesday, to revoke Boukrim’s accreditation, demanding its return, noting “a lack of respect for the duty to guarantee objective, balanced, and neutral media coverage of the electoral process, non-compliance with the electoral law and code of ethics, and disregard for the rules of professional conduct.”
In a statement released today, the union voiced its strong condemnation and absolute rejection of the Commission’s decision. According to the statement, it called on all journalists and media professionals to participate in a demonstration in front of the ISIE headquarters next Tuesday and to prepare for further escalatory actions.
The union furthermore criticized the Electoral Commission, asserting that it is not specialized in assessing media coverage based on professional ethics and that all its decisions in this regard lack legitimacy. It emphasized that “monitoring media coverage requires ethical standards, advanced equipment, specialized and highly skilled human resources, and a precise methodology, all of which the Commission lacks.”
In recent weeks, the Union has engaged in swift and in-depth talks with the Press Council and other professional bodies in the media sector to establish the necessary self-regulation mechanisms to keep pace with the electoral process without a regulatory body. It has published a guidance document for media coverage of the presidential election and plans to release a detailed plan for election coverage in the coming days.
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