Tunisian journalists denounce president’s law on prison terms for false information

TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s president on Friday decreed a legislation imposing jail phrases for spreading false info or rumours on-line, a transfer instantly denounced by the primary journalists’ union as an assault on freedom of speech.

President Kais Saied had mentioned he would uphold the rights and freedoms received by Tunisians in a 2011 revolution that introduced democracy after his strikes final summer season to grab most powers and shut down the elected parliament.

His new legislation on Friday, issued as a presidential decree, offered for jail phrases of 5 years for spreading false information, false info or rumours with the goal of attacking others, harming public safety or producing terror.

If the goal of the false info or rumours is an official, the jail time period may be 10 years, his new legislation mentioned.

“The decree is a brand new setback for rights and freedoms. The penalties for publishing in any networks are a powerful blow to the revolutionary values that granted freedom to all journalists and all Tunisians,” mentioned Mahdi Jlassi, the journalists’ union head.

Jlassi added that the brand new legislation was paying homage to these utilized by the late autocratic president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to crack down on dissenting opponents.

Since Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, its media has change into one of the vital open of any Arab state, with even the state-owned information company steadily reporting criticism of the authorities.

Activists on social media websites criticised Saied’s decree, describing it as an effort to destroy these hard-won freedoms. Others mocked it, saying they’d solely publish sports activities information or artwork on their social media accounts.

Saied’s critics accuse him of getting launched a coup final summer season when he seized govt authority, shifting to one-man rule with a sequence of decrees that he enshrined in a structure handed by a referendum in July.

Saied has denied performing unlawfully and says his actions have been wanted to save lots of Tunisia from years of stagnation and political paralysis.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara; Writing by Angus McDowall; Enhancing by Cynthia Osterman)