A prominent watchdog group condemned Tunisia for sentencing a blogger to two years in prison for posting a video deemed to be offensive, and urged the authorities to amend restrictions on the freedom of speech
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th November, 2020) A prominent watchdog group condemned Tunisia for sentencing a blogger to two years in prison for posting a video deemed to be offensive, and urged the authorities to amend restrictions on the freedom of speech.
On November 12, Wajdi Mahouechi was sentenced for posting a Facebook video that denounced the country's prosecution for failing to launch a probe against an imam who justified killing people on religious grounds. For that Mahouechi was charged with public calumny, offending via telecommunication networks, insulting an officer on duty and presenting groundless accusations against officials, says Human Rights Watch (HRW).
"Tunisia has no excuse to prosecute peaceful critics and intimidate bloggers who attack state authorities. Parliament should move quickly to amend or delete laws that are relics of the ousted autocratic regime," HRW middle Rast and North Africa Director Eric Goldstein said in a statement, noting that the country's legal codes have many vague laws that are used to silence dissent.
In 2019, the watchdog published two reports on Tunisia prosecuting bloggers and social media activists. According to HRW, the country has sentenced six people to prison since 2017.
