After the Blockage exceeding all limits, a Lawsuit in Tunisia filed against Internet Sites Blockage"A brave Tunisian journalist challenged fear and repression overwhelming the country and file a suite against Tunisia Agency for Internet Services demanding a compensation for internet websites blockage in Tunisia. He considered the intervention of the Tunisian president to reopen the Facebook website on the 2nd of September as an example for the Tunisian fanatic policies, as an evidence proving the failure of the Internet Agency in expanding the ban on websites.
The Tunisian journalist Ziad al-Hani has filed a law suit against Tunisia Agency for Internet Services as a result of blocking the world wide popular social network website "face Book", and the misleading of the agency giving an error message, indicating that the website is no longer exists by displaying the error number (404) when users try to access to the website, while the error number should appear when the website is blocked is (403). Tunis district's 3rd directorate court that had scheduled the 4th of November 2008 to review the case."
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."
Global Voices Advocacy » Tunisia: 404 not found"Tunisian internet users are now too familiar with this error message 404 not found and they have even created an imaginary person that is responsible for censorship and nicknamed it Ammar the scissors of censorship. While in Tunisia, just try to open Youtube or Daily motion; you will get this error message! And if you want to get news from Al Jazeera or Alarabiya, the Tunisian Internet Agency is sorry because it cannot provide you with this service! You want to know more about the real life in Tunisia from the writings of Tunisian people? You try to visit sites such as Tunisinews, aafaq.org , or nawaat.org, we are again sorry, we cannot grant you this privilege. Your Tunisian friends that you had just met in Tunisia told you about his/her blog and gave you the link to take a look, we are really sorry this is impossible!"
Reporters sans frontières - Tunisia"Reporters Without Borders is very concerned about independent journalist Slim Boukhdir following his arrest in the southern city of Sfax on the night of 20 September by four plain-clothes policemen, who threatened him because of his articles and then dumped him 10 km outside the city. It was the first serious incident since his release from prison two months ago."
