Re:[hr-wsis] IPS - Tunisian media counter conference to WSIS

["hayrsou\.belhassen" <hayrsou.belhassen@laposte.net>]

> dear all
> 
> colleagues are asking if any of us know about this
initiative? stephan 
> leahy did send me a message asking about hammemt earlier
this week, but i 
> hadn't responded at this point
> 
> karen
> 
> >From: "Bruce Girard" <bgirard@comunica.org>
> >To: crisinfo@comunica.org
> >Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2004 21:47:54 -0200
> >Cc:
> >Subject: [CRIS Info] IPS - Tunisian media counter
conference to WSIS
> >
> >Tunisian Journalist Fights for Openness
> >Stephen Leahy
> >
> >BROOKLIN, Canada, Nov 19 (IPS) - The Tunisian recipient of
a Canadian 
> >award recognising her fight for media freedom in her
homeland says she 
> >will organise a counter conference to a planned United
Nations meeting on 
> >the "information society" in Tunis in 2005.
> >
> >Sihem Bensedrine was one of three winners of the 2004
International Press 
> >Freedom Award to be honoured by the group Canadian
Journalists for Freedom 
> >of Expression in Toronto this week. The annual prize
recognises courageous 
> >journalists who face personal risks in pursuit of the news.
> >Also saluted were Guy-André Kieffer, a Canadian freelance
journalist who 
> >disappeared in Côte d'Ivoire in April, and Zimbabwean
newspaper 'The Daily 
> >News', forced to close down in February 2004 for its
"uncompromising 
> >opposition to government repression."
> >Last October, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
was elected to a 
> >fourth, five-year term, reportedly by 99 percent of voters.
His government 
> >will host the U.N. World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) in 2005, 
> >phase two of a meeting whose themes include freedom of
speech and how 
> >information and communications technologies (ICT) can help
promote democracy.
> >
> >"There are no independent media in Tunisia," Bensedrine
told IPS. "Hosting 
> >the WSIS is paradoxical."
> >Although blocked by her government from participating in
the summit, 
> >Bensedrine plans to organise a "Contra-Conference Against
the Summit," 
> >including national and international human rights
organisations.
> >
> >The move is just one example of Bensedrine's commitment and
passion for 
> >truth and freedom despite having been arrested and tortured
by Tunisian 
> >police. After speaking out about these issues to
parliamentarians in 
> >Germany last December, she was beaten by unknown assailants
shortly after 
> >returning to Tunisia.
> >Bensedrine has faced continual harassment for many years
working as a 
> >reporter and editor-in-chief at five newspapers, several of
which were 
> >banned by the government, including 'Kalima!' and 'Blanc
sur Noir'.
> >
> >She still attempts to publish 'Kalima!' as an online
publication but 
> >cannot update it from within Tunisia because Internet
access to the 
> >website is blocked.
> >The northern African nation has a reasonably good Internet
infrastructure, 
> >including 300 government-operated cyber cafés and all
secondary schools 
> >and universities are reportedly "wired."
> >
> >Yet Internet access is strictly controlled by the
government using 
> >software programmes and hundreds of technical experts who
prevent 
> >Tunisians from accessing selected websites, such as Amnesty
International, 
> >Human Rights Watch and others that deal with human rights
and freedom of 
> >expression, said Bensedrine.
> >In 2003 eight Internet users, seven of them aged between 17
and 22, were 
> >accused of promoting terrorist attacks on the sole basis of
files they 
> >downloaded from the Internet. In July 2004 they were
sentenced to 13 years 
> >in prison.
> >
> >But those convictions rested entirely on signed confessions
extracted 
> >under torture, according to France-based Reporters Without
Borders (RWB).
> >Bensedrine has organised international campaigns to alert
the world to the 
> >convictions and to push countries to pressure the
government to overturn 
> >the verdicts.
> >Tunisia has one of the most oppressive censorship regimes
in the world, 
> >according to the International Press Institute (IPI), a
global network of 
> >journalists and editors based in Vienna. For that reason
the IPI and other 
> >press freedom organisations want the WSIS to abandon
Tunisia as the site 
> >of its 2005 gathering.
> >Recent events could support that argument.
> >
> >Any and all mention of Tunisia's ability and suitability as
a place to 
> >discuss freedom of expression were shouted down at a major
WSIS 
> >preparatory meeting involving civil society groups in
Hamment, Tunisia in 
> >June, said Mark Bench of the World Press Freedom Committee,
a U.S.-based 
> >coalition of 45 countries.
> >"There were enormous interruptions, with microphones being
grabbed away 
> >from people during meetings," Bench said in an interview.
> >About 200 civil society and non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) were 
> >involved in the meeting but at least 87 were Tunisian he
said. The latter 
> >were responsible for the disruptions.
> >Other complaints included lack of meeting and office space for 
> >international NGOs, and abruptly cancelled meetings.
> >"If this is any indication of what will transpire in 2005,
we're deeply 
> >concerned," added Bench.
> >Committee members have visited Tunisian ambassadors in
several countries 
> >to deliver the message that similar treatment next year
will do the 
> >country's reputation little good.
> >"We hope there will be a change of heart. And that there
will be greater 
> >press freedom," Bench said.
> >According to Bensedrine, only four or five NGOs in Tunisia are 
> >independent; the others are affiliated with the government.
However, all 
> >groups have to obtain permission to operate legally.
> >The journalist is hoping that when she returns home in
December with a 
> >number of international organisations at her side, the NGO
she works with, 
> >the National Committee for Rights in Tunisia, will get that
approval.
> >Tunisia, she pointed out, likes to portray itself a model
of development 
> >and stability and is very sensitive to criticism from the
international 
> >community.
> >Support from that community is also crucial for the
survival of 
> >independent Tunisian human rights and press freedom
organisations, said 
> >Bensedrine. "It's our only weapon against this
dictatorship." (END/2004)
> >--
> >Bruce Girard  -  <http://comunica.org/>www.comunica.org   -
 +(598) 2 410.2979
> >Dr. Pablo de María 1036, Montevideo, Uruguay
> >_______________________________________________
> >Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS)
> >For more information see http://www.crisinfo.org/
act@crisinfo.org
> >CRIS Info is a public list for information and questions
about the 
> >campaign for Communication Rights in the Information
Society (CRIS).
> >CRIS also has a Latin American regional list at: 
> >http://comunica.org/mailman/listinfo/crisal_comunica.org
> >________________________________________
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> 
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