Paris - The press rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounced Thursday's conviction of Tunisian journalist Taoufik Ben Brik by a Tunis court on various charges, including slander and assault. "With this verdict, Tunisia again joins the distasteful club of countries that imprison journalists for their opinions," the organization's secretary-general, Jean-Francois Julliard, said in a statement.
The Tunis court sentenced Ben Brik to six months in prison. He was arrested on October 29, four days after Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was re-elected with nearly 90 per cent of the vote.
In the run-up to the election, Ben Brik wrote several articles critical of the president. RSF and other human rights groups charge that he was set up in an incident orchestrated by Tunisian security agents.
"He is paying the price for his commitment and for the freedom of his voice," Julliard said. "The Tunisian legal system has just sent a troubling message to Tunisian journalists. All those who criticize President Ben Ali could wind up in prison ... beside Taoufik Ben Brik."
