Police harass Inkyfada journalist over security coverage

The editor of the Arabic-language version of Inkyfada, an online newspaper that was nominated for the 2015 RSF Press Freedom Prize, Mejri was summoned and questioned on 11 December about the sensitive security information that he is believed to possess. At the same time, he was told that he is to be the subject of a criminal prosecution in connection with the article he wrote for the Nawaat website in the 2013 about the existence of a parallel security apparatus based at Tunis airport. But he was not given any details of the charges against him. According to our sources, the criminal proceedings are being initiated now, more than two years after the article’s publication, for various reasons including the fact that the authorities continue to be annoyed and embarrassed by Mejri’s investigative reporting. “The action of the police in summoning Walid Mejri for interrogation sets an extremely dangerous precedent,” the five organizations said in a joint statement. “If proceedings are initiated against a journalist, it should only be done under Decree-Law No. 115-2011 and not under the criminal code. The anti-crime brigade should not harass journalists in this manner. The current security situation must not be used as a pretext for restricting freedom of the media and information.” Decree-Law No. 115-2011 concerns media freedom. Under article 11 of this law, no journalist may be subjected to pressure by any kind of official. And journalists are not required to reveal their sources unless ordered to do so by a competent judge, and only when the required information cannot be obtained by any other way.