Tunisia rights groups denounce closure of freedom of information agency
Closure of the National Authority for Access to Information sparks concerns over government restrictions on information.
Tunisian rights groups have condemned the dissolution of the National Authority for Access to Information (INAI), an independent body established in 2016.
The agency aimed to safeguard citizens' and journalists' rights to access information.
According to sources, the Tunisian government shut down INAI earlier this month and reassigned its staff to other governmental roles.
The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists criticized the government for a lack of public announcement regarding the closure.
The decision has raised concerns about press freedom and access to information in Tunisia.
Zied Dabbar, head of the SNJT, stated that access to information is increasingly restricted, undermining press freedom.
He warned against the potential dominance of an official narrative that could lead to propaganda.
The journalists' union described the measure as a significant blow to Tunisia's fragile democracy.
President Kais Saied has been in power since 2019 and has ruled by decree since a 2021 power grab.
Critics argue that freedoms in Tunisia have declined under his rule, pointing to the prosecution of several journalists and public figures under a 2022 law criminalizing the spreading of false news.
Human rights organizations have expressed concern over what they perceive as the government's efforts to control information sources.
The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights warned that the closure of INAI is part of a broader political strategy aimed at undermining constitutional bodies and limiting the space for rights and freedoms in the country.
The agency aimed to safeguard citizens' and journalists' rights to access information.
According to sources, the Tunisian government shut down INAI earlier this month and reassigned its staff to other governmental roles.
The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists criticized the government for a lack of public announcement regarding the closure.
The decision has raised concerns about press freedom and access to information in Tunisia.
Zied Dabbar, head of the SNJT, stated that access to information is increasingly restricted, undermining press freedom.
He warned against the potential dominance of an official narrative that could lead to propaganda.
The journalists' union described the measure as a significant blow to Tunisia's fragile democracy.
President Kais Saied has been in power since 2019 and has ruled by decree since a 2021 power grab.
Critics argue that freedoms in Tunisia have declined under his rule, pointing to the prosecution of several journalists and public figures under a 2022 law criminalizing the spreading of false news.
Human rights organizations have expressed concern over what they perceive as the government's efforts to control information sources.
The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights warned that the closure of INAI is part of a broader political strategy aimed at undermining constitutional bodies and limiting the space for rights and freedoms in the country.
