Human rights activist Mohammed Abbou is freed after two and a half years in jail

Reporters Without Borders hails the release today of lawyer and human rights activist Mohammed Abbou, who had been serving a three-and-a-half-year jail term in Kef prison. He was arrested on 1 March 2005. “We are extremely pleased by Abbou's release and our thoughts go out to his wife and children who are finally being reunited with him,” the press freedom organisation said. “Abbou should never have been imprisoned. Nearly two and a half years of constant bullying in prison is a high price to pay for one's independence and desire to inform one's fellow citizens freely. His wife, Samia Abbou, was also harassed by the authorities. She was often prevented from visiting him and was sometimes treated abusively by the guards.” Reporters Without Borders added: “We thank all those who intervened on his behalf, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who raised Abbou's case during a recent visit to Tunisia. The Tunisian government and its president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, must now stop the brutal repression of critical journalists and pro-democracy activists.” President Ben Ali is on the Reporters Without Borders list of the world's 34 worst press freedom predators. Reached by telephone, Samia Abbou confirmed to Reporters Without Borders that “Mohammed has been released” and that “he is on his way home.” Abbou was given the three-and-a-half-year prison sentence on 29 April 2005, after being accused of posting an article on the Tunisnews website in August 2004 comparing the torture of political prisoners in Tunisia to that perpetrated by US soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Observers at his trial suspected the severity of the sentence was linked to a different article he had posted online a few days before his arrest, in which he criticised an invitation to Israeli leader Ariel Sharon to attend a UN summit in Tunis, and commented ironically on alleged corruption within the president's family. Reporters Without Borders established a system of sponsorship 16 years ago in which international media are encouraged to adopt imprisoned journalists. More than 200 news organisations throughout the world are currently supporting journalists by regularly calling on the authorities to release them and by publicising their cases. Mohammed Abbou was adopted by Aldaketa Hamasei-Cambio 16, El Periódico de Catalunya, CIBL FM, Campus, Quartier Libre, Le Métropolitain, categorynet.com and the Charleroi press centre.