The strike call from the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) follows the imprisonment last Friday of journalist Zied el-Heni, who was freed on bail today but still faces charges. With increasing numbers of journalists facing judicial proceedings in recent months, the SNJT has expressed its extreme concerns over the many frontal attacks on press freedom and freedom of expression in Tunisia.
Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said “Freedom of speech has been under continuous assault, and more and more journalists are being attacked, imprisoned and harassed. Powerful interests in the governing party are clearly fearful of the truth, and the international trade union movement pledges its full support to the journalists and others who are exercise their legitimate rights to freedom of speech. We demand that the Tunisian authorities cease their campaign to suppress fundamental rights.”
