Cases of harrassment, torture, imprisonment, assault and religious persecution in Tunisia:

July 21, 2008: (Reporters Without Borders) - Reporters Without Borders today voiced its relief at the news of the release of Slim Boukhdir four months before the end of his sentence. The freelance journalist has been held since 26 November 2007 in very harsh prison conditions at the civil jail in Sfax, 230 kilometres south of the capital. Boukhdir, 39, is correspondent for the pan-Arab London-based newspaper al Quds al Arabi and for the website of Satellite television station al-Arabiya. He also posts articles on several websites, particularly Tunisnews and Kantara. Click here to read more.

March 4, 2008: (IFEX) Reporters Without Borders has strongly condemned police who detained and beat Tunisian journalist, Sihem Bensedrine, president of the working group on press freedom in North Africa, and her husband, Omar Mestiri, managing editor of the newspaper "Kalima" on their arrival at la Goulette port on 3 March 2008. Click here to read more.

November 27, 2002: (Source IFEX)"Reporters Without Borders has protested against the arrest of journalist Slim Boukhdir, who according to latest reports is being held at a police station in the suburbs of Sfax, 231 kilometres south of Tunis." Click here to read more.

November 27, 2007: (Source IFEX) "Dear Secretary General, We are writing to you, for the second time since January, to express our great concern at the continuous attacks on freedom of expression by the Tunisian authorities since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was held in Tunis two years ago. As you know, this month also marks President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's celebration of the 20th anniversary of his accession to power on 7 November.

Following your comments that reportedly appear to embrace the legacy of President Ben Ali, we would like to take this opportunity to point out that economic growth in Tunisia has come at the cost of sacrificing human rights, in particular freedom of expression." Click here to read more.

October 16: 2007: (Source IFEX) "TUNISIA - Lawyer and human rights activist Mohamed Abbou, jailed more than two years for exposing torture in Tunisian prisons on the Internet, has been released but was told that he is banned from traveling. Meanwhile, journalist Abdallah Zouari has been living in internal exile for his work with the now-defunct Islamic newspaper "Al-Fajr". Zouari has spent 11 years in prison and more than five years under virtual house arrest nearly 500 km from his wife and children. In a joint statement, 23 IFEX members and partners call on the Tunisian government to allow both men to move freely." Click here to read more.

QUICK LINKS TO CASE STORIES

Tunisian journalist released

Journalists part of press freedom group beaten by police.

Journalist arrested

Human Rights Activist Released from jail.