Tunisian rights groups: “False news” decree being used to stifle political dissent

Tunisian journalists and opposition figures have voiced concern that a presidential decree targeting "false news” is being used to suppress political dissent, citing the rise in prosecutions resulting from the measure.

Over 60 individuals, including journalists and lawyers, have been prosecuted under the measure since it was enacted in September 2022, Zied Dabbar, head of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists told AFP. The decree mandates five-year prison terms for spreading “false news” or slandering others.

Critics argue it suppresses criticism and free speech in the birthplace of the Arab Spring. Sadok Jammami, an information sciences professor in Tunis, told AFP that Decree 54 "is not at all a response to disinformation or fake news since it particularly targets public and political figures".

The International Commission of Jurists has charged that the decree"enables the authorities to exert an unwarranted control over what people say, including politicians, journalists and human rights defenders -- through the use of surveillance and criminal sanctions".