<BR>
<P>Dear all</P>
<P>Please find hereafter an information upon international federation of journalists' website access forbidden by the tunesian gouvernment, published by Balancing Act News Update, 8 january 2006 </P>
<P>Best</P>
<P>Jean-Louis Fullsack</P>
<P> </P>
<P>* TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT BANS INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF JOURNALISTS WEB-SITE<BR><BR>The International Federation of Journalists today protested to the <BR>Tunisian government over the banning of the Federation?s web site. In <BR>recent weeks, following the World Summit on the Information Society in <BR>November when the IFJ sharply criticised restrictions on Internet use <BR>and harassment of human rights activists, the IFJ web site has been <BR>unobtainable.<BR><BR>"The Tunisian authorities continue to show intolerance of independent <BR>opinion and free expression," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. <BR>"But they are seriously mistaken if they think this will discourage <BR>journalists from expressing their solidarity with colleagues in Tunisia."<BR><BR>In a letter to President Ben Ali, IFJ says that all obstacles on the use <BR>of Internet technology and access to information should be lifted, <BR>except where they are in line with international standards which may <BR>limit access to anti-social sites, covering, for instance, child <BR>pornography or incitement to violence.<BR><BR>"The IFJ site is an information point for journalists around the world - <BR>including many in Tunisia and other Arab countries. Reporters want <BR>information about developments in the region and want to express their <BR>solidarity with colleagues," said White, pointing out that the IFJ site <BR>is available in French, Spanish and English and also has an extensive <BR>Arabic section. All of the content is uncontroversial, he said.<BR><BR>"It is impossible not to conclude that the sole reason for this ban is a <BR>political act of spite to penalise the Federation for defending the <BR>rights of all journalists in Tunisia and for its criticism of the <BR>authorities," he said. In an address to governments at the World Summit <BR>in Tunis White had said that harassment of rights activists and Tunisian <BR>restrictions on access to the Internet cast a shadow over the whole <BR>summit process.<BR><BR>He appealed to the President to lift the ban on access to the site <BR>immediately and reiterated demands that all restrictions on access to <BR>the Internet should be withdrawn.<BR><BR>If not, Tunisia will be once again be seen to be setting a poor example <BR>to the Arab world where people who yearn for more freedom and democracy <BR>are pressing their demands for reform,? he said.<BR><BR>The IFJ Executive Committee meeting in Sydney Australia at the beginning <BR>of December reiterated the Federation?s support for efforts by the <BR>Association of Tunisian Journalists and the Syndicate of Journalists, <BR>both members of the IFJ, who are striving to defend journalists? rights <BR>in difficult conditions. The IFJ has also called for a relaunching of a <BR>campaign for free speech in the country.<BR><BR></P>