Tunisia: CPJ releases special report on Tunisia

IFEX ::

"(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is 23 September 2008 CPJ press release:

The Smiling Oppressor

A CPJ special report: Tunisia offers a warm embrace to its friends internationally. At home, it silences critics with a vengeance.

New York, September 23, 2008 - Tunisia promotes itself as a progressive nation that protects human rights, but a CPJ investigation has found that it aggressively silences journalists and others who challenge the policies of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. In a new report, "The Smiling Oppressor," CPJ has found journalists subject to routine imprisonment, assault, harassment, and censorship.

Ben Ali's administration enjoys close ties with Western governments, which have been largely silent about the country's press freedom record. But CPJ's investigation found that Tunisia falls well short of internationally accepted standards for free expression."