TUNIS, 24 February 2005 — Tunisia angrily rejected yesterday accusations of censorship and torture in the North African country, saying the report by a press freedom advocacy group was seriously flawed. The International Freedom of Expression Exchange, which campaigns for press freedom, said on Tuesday Tunisia had censored newspapers, blocked Internet sites, imprisoned people for their opinions or media activities and used torture.
“The IFEX report ... is seriously flawed. Its authors have not properly checked their information and their conclusions therefore lack credibility,” a government statement said. It added that the 60-page IFEX report carried a “number of unfounded allegations and inaccurate statements”.
Tunisia plans to host the UN-backed World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in November. Governments and multilateral groups are due to attend the meeting in a new global drive to bridge the so-called “digital divide” between rich and poor nations and settle controversial issues such as global control of the Internet.
IFEX said it feared Tunisia would “use the WSIS to improve its image while continuing to conceal its poor human rights record”. “Tunisia must greatly improve its implementation of internationally agreed freedom of expression and other human rights standards if it is to hold the World Summit on the Information Society,” the group said.
“Freedom of expression is a reality in Tunisia. Members of the opposition express their views freely and without any restrictions, whether in Parliament where five opposition parties are represented or in public forums,” the Tunisian government said.
