Judge frees satellite TV station director who was held overnight

Reporters Without Borders hailed the release today of Tahar Ben Hassine, the head of the satellite TV station Al-Hiwar Attounsi. He was freed early this afternoon when he was taken before a judge without his lawyers being present. Ben Hassine had been held overnight at the Bouchoucha police station in Tunis after being arrested late yesterday evening on suspicion of “driving under the influence of alcohol.” He was stopped shortly after leaving the home of freelance journalist Taoufik Ben Brik, with whom he had spent the evening. “A member of the political police paid me a visit during the night and ordered a blood test although the results of the first two tests were negative” Ben Hassine told Reporters Without Borders. “My arrest was a warning to the TV station, which is bothering the authorities more and more.” he added. ------------------------------------------------------------- 8.02.2007 Satellite TV station's director arrested after visiting dissident journalist's home Reporters Without Borders called today for the release of Tahar Ben Hassine, the head of the satellite TV station Al-Hiwar Attounsi and editor of the Perspectives Tunisiennes website, who was arrested yesterday in Tunis after visiting freelance journalist Taoufik Ben Brik. “There were no grounds for arresting this journalist,” the press freedom organisation said. “The Tunisian authorities often used trumped-up charges for harassing the more outspoken journalists and we have many reasons for concern about the real reasons for this arrest.” Police stopped Ben Hassine after he left Ben Brik's home, gave him an alcohol test and accused him of driving under the influence although Ben Brik insists “he drank no more than half a glass of wine.” After spending the night at the Bouchoucha police station in Tunis, he was due to be taken before a judge today. According to Ben Brik, whose home is kept under surveillance, Ben Hassine's arrest was “a new intimidation attempt by the Tunisian authorities, who used every possible means to put government opponents in prison.” Ben Hassine's lawyer, Hammami Ayachi, told Reporters Without Borders that members of the political police visited Ben Hassine in his cell last night. Created in 2002, Al-Hiwar Attounsi broadcasts two hours of programming a week by satellite from Italy. Several of the people who work for it have been harassed and attacked in Tunisia. A dozen policemen beat up one of its journalists, Taoufik Al-Ayachi, and took his camera when he tried to visit the home of Samia Abbou, the wife of imprisoned lawyer and cyber-dissident Mohammed Abbou, on 16 August 2006.