The National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), on Monday, “strongly” condemned the decision to prevent journalists from private, associative and international media (print, electronic, radio and television) from covering the inaugural session of the Assembly of the People’s Representatives (ARP) and allow only public media in. The union said in a statement that banning journalists from covering the opening of the parliament was “a serious precedent that confiscates a right guaranteed by the Tunisian constitution and law.’ This is an “attempt to undermine the media’s right to access information in order to muzzle the media,” it pointed out. The SNJT stressed that these measures also violate citizens’ right to information. The union also warned against any attempt to divide and differentiate between public and other media in order to “disunite the media scene”. The SNJT also called for fighting any form of backsliding and preserving the independence of journalistic work. It announced that a press conference would be held at the union’s headquarters on Tuesday and stressed that its executive committee was holding an open meeting to discuss ways of dealing with these “abusive practices”.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP)