AMARC Europe is deeply concerned about the harrassment of Tunisian Independent journalists taking part to the new Independent Radio project, Radio Kalima.

Yesterday the coordinator of the project Dhafer Otay have been hold for the whole day by the Tunisian police preventing him to enter in the radio studios and threatening him of deeper consequences and prison if he would continue working within the radio project. This morning, the police have doubled the staff and prevented the secretary of CNLT (Conseil National Pour Les Libertés en Tunisie) to enter the office of CNLT which is in the same building, A human rights activist, Makhlouf Zouhayr, who came to express solidarity was severely beaten by them; Omar Mestiri, managing editor of the Kalima platform, was copiously insulted while he was trying to stop them. At present the Radio Kalima editorial staff is still under siege.

«We ask Tunisian authorities to cease immediately those odious intimidations», said Mariano Sanchez, President of the European branch of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters. «We firmly condemn the dictatorship methods put in place by the Tunisian Government, and we ask the EU to block immediately all the commercial relations with Tunisia unless the basic human rights will be guaranteed».

Since Monday the 26^th of January, Radio Kalima can also be heard through Med Info Radio satellite channel, the first all info radio channel based on community radios and independent production centres in the Mediterranean basin, a project led by the italian radio agency AMISnet.

Francesco Diasio

AMARC Europe, Secretary General

For more information:

Francesco Diasio, AMARC Europe: +39.06.8632 8312

Sihem Bensedrine, founder of CNLT +43.676757 4556

SUPPORT RADIO KALIMA EDITORIAL STAFF

CALL +216.71.254 673

Tags:censorship, freedom of expression, Tunisia