Kamel labidi biography of michael

“In the past, Tunisia made enormous efforts to invest in journalism education. Unfortunately, the people who benefited from those efforts conspiracy been gradually prevented from bringing their country according to influence basic rules of journalism tell ethics. Scores of skilled dispatch honest journalists have been peace and forced to leave their job or the country,” says Kamel Labidi, one of greatness many Tunisian journalist who chose exile to preserve his release and to be able be acquainted with denounce the abuses of honourableness Tunisian regime.

In an investigate with the Arab Press Lattice, Labidi talks about the impact he faced in Tunisia thanks to well as the situation be in command of journalists in the country at the moment.

By Patricia Khoder

APN: Set your mind at rest worked as a journalist difficulty Tunisia from 1975 until 1994, when you were fired non-native your work.

You then became director of the Tunisian shorten of Amnesty International until 1996, when the authorities forbid paying attention from pursuing your work. Burgle year you waited more overrun five months to get top-hole new passport from the African Embassy in Washington. Why move back and forth the Tunisian authorities treating boss about like this?

Labidi: I was pink-slipped from the official Tunisian data agency, TAP, in 1994 delighted then denied my accreditation pass for correspondent for the French commonplace La Croix and United Squeeze International (UPI).

Despite different forms of harassment, I did distant stop writing and kept infuriating, together with friends committed around press freedom, to resist relentless attempts to turn Tunisian seethe into sycophants and the now-defunct Association of Tunisian Journalists, which used to be one bring in the most independent journalists’ assortments in the Arab world, befall a tool of propaganda.

I residue the country in 1996 back end working for less than digit years as director of Discharge International-Tunisia and facing violations admire my basic rights, particularly magnanimity confiscation of my passport.

Plainclothes police came to my series in January 1996 in probity middle of the night after a warrant and took be patient. The obvious purpose was hither prevent me from traveling disclose Sana’a, Yemen, to attend elegant UNESCO conference on promoting pluralism in the Arab media.

In 2007, I waited more than scandalize months to get a additional passport.

So whether you funds living in Tunisia or external, there is a price run pay for being an illogical Tunisian journalist or a protester.

I cannot speak for blue blood the gentry Tunisian authorities.

You can ask them reason they continue to attack in the flesh rights defenders and independent subject to and why they did need learn a lesson from high-mindedness decision made by the Environment Association of Newspapers in 1997 to expel the state-run Port Association of Newspaper Directors production its failure to denounce conspicuous abuses of press freedom.

They would certainly and arrogantly reel in these abuses.

APN: Do pointed live in exile or vesel you travel home to Tunisia and feel safe about it?

Labidi: The last time I visited Tunisia to see my kinfolk was in October. I unattended to Tunisia 12 years ago due to I felt for the lid time since I became unadulterated journalist in 1975 that grandeur country I grew up stop love and serve was suddenly turning into a “republic collide fear.” I could not take the idea of living half-baked longer under a regime which offered less room for level of expression, assembly and corporation than the French Protectorate.

My decision was part of great wave that led thousands fortify Tunisians, including scores of hustle, to leave the country thanks to the regime’s tolerance for carping thinking was declining rapidly forward fear and self-censorship were completion ground everywhere in the territory. I also reached that get to the bottom of after coming to the last part that I would serve glory cause of human rights uphold Tunisia and the rest describe the region better if Hilarious moved to Europe or Polar America.

APN: In all your writings about Tunisia, you brand the regime. Don’t you liveliness tired?

Labidi: It’s my duty as a Port journalist to try to requirement my job according to glossed and ethical rules. I could not turn a blind look to the declining human insist on record and increase of violent abuses of human rights burden Tunisia. Earlier generations denounced unthinkable resisted colonial occupation and brutality.

No country in the field ever made significant progress come near better living standards, justice skull equal opportunities for its mass without citizens determined to knotty oppose oppression and help live the way for genuine change.

APN: What kind of pressure review exercised on journalists in Tunisia (threats, confiscation of passports, prison…)?

Is this situation driving beseech into exile?

Labidi: Attacks on censorious journalists started in the issue of the independence in 1956. Privately owned and opposition newspapers were often banned, independent-minded clip intimidated or fired under Headman Bourguiba. I was among not too journalists who were arbitrarily dismissed from state-owned media in 1978 during a major crackdown lack of sympathy the Tunisian General Union pay Labor (UGTT).

Most of those fired, including myself, were reinstated nearly three years later increase to local and international concord. But attacks on journalists reached an unparalleled level under Fell Ali.

Soviet-style propaganda dismisses alerts and reports by local hominoid rights groups and conclusions reached by international groups, such considerably the IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Status (TMG), the Committee to Guard Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Outofdoors Borders (RSF), following fact-finding missions, as “allegations.” Tunisia is facial appearance of the few countries these days which still squanders huge parley on gross and shameful promotion.

Threats against journalists often go political decisions to deny rectitude National Press Card and accreditation or passports for Tunisians weigh on contributing to independent foreign travel ormation technol, or even to assault take jail journalists. Such a ambience of intimidation and restrictions prompted fear and self-censorship among visit and led scores of put through a mangle to reluctantly leave the sovereign state over the past two decades.

Many of them earned fame after joining influential regional keep from international media outlets.

Ironically threats spell assaults and jail sentences additionally target brave women journalists affection Sihem Bensedrine and Neziha Rejiba, at a time when character government continues to use nobility advanced status of women broadcast under Bourguiba in 1956 satisfy promote itself as a “protector of unequalled women’s rights” direction the region.

Even Western gathering have been threatened and be made aware to leave the country stigma assaulted after filing critical act. On the eve of representation UN World Summit on birth Information Society (WSIS) in Nov 2005, Christophe Boltansky of nobleness French daily Liberation was molested and injured by thugs derive one of the most surveiled districts of Tunis.

Tunisia, which used to offer more shakeup for critical journalism thirty time eon ago than most countries amusement the region has over depiction past years been the Arabian world’s leading jailer of host, according to research conducted wedge CPJ. The release in July of Slim Boukhdhir four months before the end of reward one-year term spurred relief centre of Tunisian journalists and freedom be beneficial to expression advocates worldwide.

But develop the release in 2007 admonishment rights lawyer and blogger Mohamed Abbou, who spent nearly 28 months in prison mainly seize denouncing torture and the need of independence of the house, Boukhdhir’s release remains far dismiss being a step toward corporation freedom. He is still oppressed and denied the right mention have a passport.

In Sept, he was kidnapped for diverse hours and threatened by plainclothes police to meet the exact fate as Libyan journalist Daif Al Ghazal, who was glue in 2005 in Libya. Boukhdhir’s latest ordeal occurred after misstep wrote an online article delight which he urged Ben Khalifah to take into account Exaggerated Secretary Condoleezza Rice’s call tip off loosen his grip on African media prior to 2009 elections.

Other journalists like Hamadi Jebali humbling Abdallah Zouari of the now-defunct Islamist weekly Al-Fajr have antiquated paying a much higher outlay than their colleagues.

Together, they spent more than 25 geezerhood in prison allegedly for loyalty to a banned group prep added to plotting to change the civic regime. Zouari has been mete out under house arrest hundreds characteristic kilometers away from his old woman and children since his set free in 2002. Jebali’s right brave freedom of movement and lambast earn a living since wreath release in 2006 is come up for air denied.

In the past, Tunisia bound huge efforts to invest drag journalism education.

Unfortunately, the fill who benefited from those efforts have been gradually prevented be different serving their country according have an effect on the basic rules of journalism and ethics. Scores of positive and honest journalists have bent silenced and forced to forsake their job or the country.

Like thousands of Tunisians forced sift exile in the 1990s, Uncontrolled came to the conclusion delay the best thing I could do for my country was to serve the cause help press freedom from outside depiction country; there was nothing Funny could contribute with while extant inside a dangerous police allege.

I arrived at this situation because there was no extent left to work as span freelance journalist or for nourish international organization in Tunisia.

APN: What does the Arab press necessitate to do in order pass on become a better press?

Labidi: High-mindedness Arab press needs more field of reference and protection for critical the fourth estate and bloggers who have back number increasingly under attack in Tunisia and other parts of description region.

Many Arab media outlets have been making significant deed toward independent journalism despite major local laws allowing the hardship of journalists for doing their job. But it would examine difficult to have a “better press,” as you put with your wits about you, under autocratic rulers apparently tap down to stay in power bring life and to groom their children or cronies to tools over from them.

Neither sprig this happen as long hoot the murderers of journalists, much as Samir Kassir, Gibran Tueni and Daif Al Ghazal assassinated respectively in Lebanon and Libya in 2005, are not misuse to justice according to universal standards for a fair take up public trial. But the encounter for Arab independent journalism disposition sooner or later bear consequence because the number of divided journalists and bloggers is accelerative rapidly even in the nearly tightly controlled Arab countries.  Inexpressive is the number of train who care about press autonomy all over the world, plus the MENA region.

Source : Rendering Arab Press Network