Global Voices » Afef Abrougui

Tunisian Graffiti Artists Fined, Most Serious Charges Dismissed

Afef Abrougui — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:54:44 +0000

A Tunisian court in Gabes, in the South East of Tunisia, fined graffiti artists Oussama Bouagila and Chahine Berriche, 100 Tunisian Dinars [approximately 63 USD], for “writing, without permission, on public property” today [April 10, 2013]. However, the court dismissed the most serious charges of “breaching the state of emergency” and “publishing fake news that could disturb public order”.

Photo Via Zwewla Facebook Page

Last November, Bouagila and Berriche were caught by police as they were drawing a graffiti that says “the people want the poor's rights.” The two young men are members of the street art group Zwewla [ar] ["the poor" in Tunisian dialect], known for drawing graffiti in support of the underprivileged and the poor.

Caricature by Nidhal Ghariani

In a statement, the support committee for Zwewla, described [fr] the verdict as a “symbolic victory for free expression”:

Le Comité de soutien #FreeZwewla est fier de cette victoire symbolique et annonce des initiatives et actions qui auront lieu prochainement afin de réunir l’argent demandé et de régler cette amende.

The support committee #FreeZwewla is proud of this symbolic victory, and announces that a number of initiatives and actions will take place soon to collect the needed sum of money and pay the fine

Tunisia: “No to IMF Loan”

Afef Abrougui — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:48:22 +0000

As Tunisia works to secure a US$1.78 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cover next year's budget, the government has ignited anger across the country raising taxes and cutting subsidies at a time when the economy is struggling to recover from the country's Arab Spring uprising.

The country has relied on foreign assistance to finance its budget since the revolution two years ago that toppled the rule of Zeine el Abidin Ben Ali. In addition to the IMF money, the country has recently benefited from two US$500 million loans from the World Bank as well as grants and loans from Qatar, the African Development Bank, the US government, the EU, Turkey and the French Development Agency.

Tunisia's economy is stalled thanks to the impact of its 2010 uprising. Unemployment is estimated at 17 percent, but in the poor regions of the country's interior, the rate ranges from 30 to 40 percent. The tourism industry, which accounts for a sixth of the workforce, has been badly hit by the unrest which followed the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid.

Meanwhile, the inflation rate has recently reached 6 percent, the highest figure in seven years.

On March 14, the Inner City Press quoted William Murray, the deputy spokesman for the IMF, saying:

Negotiations for a precautionary Stand-By Arrangement are ongoing at a technical level with the Tunisian authorities. As you noted, a new government has been formed and staff is now inquiring about its intentions and mandate. In any case, the IMF continues to stand ready to help Tunisia in any way deemed necessary during this difficult political transition process.

A number of Tunisian netizens feared that the IMF loan will result in painful reforms, making the country's economy worse. Mariem Ben Abid, founder of the Arab Governance Institute, is one of them. She argued:

In order to secure the loan payment, the IMF suggests their classical set of “structural reforms,” which certain experts call “painful reforms” due to their negative impact on the economy and the standard of living in Tunisia(…)There is a need for a gradual reduction of subsidies that constitute five percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This will result in an increase of fuel prices and consequently, transportation costs. This will ultimately lead to a general increase of market prices… Because of a potential increase in the taxes on the value added tax (VAT), this could result in an increase in the market prices and eventually undermine Tunisians’ standard of living, since salaries will not see the same increase, especially given that the inflation rate is already about nine percent.

Ben Abid believed there are other measures the Tunisian government could take to avoid borrowing from the IMF:

Control of tax evasion and tax audit for businessmen who have a reputation of corruption associated with the Ben Ali clan.

More transparency in expenditure and state revenue, including national and international calls for bids and energy revenues.

Substantive reform to limit corruption, which has increased according to several national and international studies, as well as the implementation of good governance measures.

Initiate an audit to find the money borrowed during the Ben Ali era. This will help trace back the destination of misappropriated funds and maybe recover a part of them.

Creation of new trade agreements with Africa and the Maghreb to reduce dependence on Europe (eighty percent of our foreign trade exchange) and to soften the impact of the European Union crisis on our economy, while accelerating the reform of the customs which has become, according to the testimony of several exporters, a serious economic constraint since the revolution.

Strengthening security in order to rebuild the tourism sector.

In order to raise awareness about these “painful reforms”, award-winning blog Nawaat, made the following video:

In it, the video has the following message [fr]:

La Tunisie va emprunter 1.78 milliard de dollars au FMI
Le FMI exige une réforme douloureuse pour assurer le remboursement de son crédit
Nous passerons 40 ans de notre vie à travailler pour payer l’ensemble de ces dettes
Non à l’hypothèque de deux générations
Non à la suppression des subventions (pain, farine, médicaments, livres, transport …)
Non aux privatisations sauvages.
Non a l’endettement auprès du FMI
Non à l’augmentation des prix, de la TVA sur les produits et services
Oui à l’audit quant à l’argent emprunté sous Ben Ali.
Oui à l’étude et a l’audit par l’ANC des l’emprunts passés et à venir.
L’enseignement et la santé doivent rester accessibles à tous
Défendons, ensemble, la Tunisie, ses richesses et son avenir !

Tunisia will borrow a $1.78 billion loan from the IMF.
The IMF requires a set of painful reforms to ensure the reimbursement of its loan.
We will spend 40 years of our lives working to pay these debts.
No to the mortgaging of two generations.
No to the suppression of subsidies (bread, flour, medications, books, transportation…)
No to ferocious privatization.
No to borrowing from the IMF.
Yes to an audit into the money borrowed under the Ben Ali rule.
Yes to reviewing and examining past and future loans by the NCA [National Constituent Assembly].
Education and healthcare should remain accessible to everyone.
Let's together defend Tunisia, its wealth and future!

Cigarette Vendor Sets Himself on Fire, Self-immolations Continue in Tunisia

Afef Abrougui — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:56:41 +0000

Adel Khadri, a 27-year-old cigarette street vendor set himself on fire on Tunis’ main street Habib Bourguiba Avenue on March 12, 2013. According to eye witnesses, Khadri shouted: “This is a young man who sells cigarettes because of unemployment,” before flames consumed his body. Khadri passed away early this morning at Ben Arous’ Burns Hospital.

Collective blog Nawaat reports [fr]:

Le jeune vendeur à la sauvette qui, désespéré par ses conditions de vie, s’était immolé, est décédé mercredi à l’aube, dernière illustration en date des tensions sociales en Tunisie auxquelles le nouveau gouvernement devra faire face une fois investi. “Il est mort aujourd’hui à 5 h 30 du matin des suites de ses graves brûlures“, a dit Imed Touibi, le directeur du Centre des grands brûlés de Ben Arous (banlieue de Tunis) où le jeune homme de 27 ans, Adel Khadri, était hospitalisé.

Anguished by his living conditions, the young street vendor, who set himself on fire passed away at dawn on Wednesday. This is the last illustration of the social tensions in Tunisia, which the new government, once in place, should deal with. “He died today at 5.30am from severe burns”, said Imed Touibi director of the Centre of Severe Burns in Ben Arous (a Tunis suburb), where the young 27-year-old man was hospitalized.

Quoting the privately-owned radio Mosaique FM, author of the blog Massir Destin reports [fr] on the number of self-immolations in Tunisia:

Oh mon Dieu!!!
Le nombre d'immolations par le feu en Tunisie:
2 en 2010
91 en 2011
63 en 2012
11 en 2013
Source Mosaïque fm. Mais on n'a pas précisé le nombre de décès.

Oh my God!!! The number of self-immolations in Tunisia:
2 in 2010
91 in 2011
63 in 2012
11 in 2013
Source: Mosaique FM. But they have not reported on the number of deaths.

Emergency services arrive at Habib Bourguiba Avenue to transfer Khadri to hospital. Image via Alqarra TV Facebook page

On December 17, 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi, a fruit street vendor from Sidi Bouzid set himself on fire when police confiscated his wares. His desperate act ignited social justice and pro-democracy protests in Sidi Bouzid and eventually the entire country, forcing autocratic ruler Zeine el Abidin Ben Ali to flee to Saudi Arabia 18 days later. However, 24 months after the ouster of Ben Ali, Tunisia is still going through intense socioeconomic difficulties, further intensified by a political crisis deepened by the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid on February 6. High prices, a 16.7% unemployment rate and disparities between regions are all making the lives of Tunisians, especially underprivileged groups, harder. Khadri, was not only suffering financial destitution, but according to his brother [fr] had stomach health problems but did not have enough money to get treatment.

Benoît Delmas, a Tunis-based journalist writes [fr]:

Adel Khadri est-il mort pour rien ? La question semble indécente mais elle est suscitée par le silence politique qui a entouré l’annonce de cette immolation. Laquelle renvoie inévitablement au point de départ de la révolution tunisienne lorsque Mohamed Bouazizi, un vendeur à la sauvette de fruits et légumes, s’aspergea d’essence et s’immola à Sidi Bouzid, le 17 décembre 2010. Avant et après Bouazizi, d’autres cas similaires furent notés. La mort, au petit matin, d’Adel Khadri devrait interpeller toute la société tunisienne. Un pays qui n’offre aucun espoir à sa jeunesse est un pays qui s’étiole, s’effondre. Il ne s’agit pas d’exiger des remèdes miracles mais de demander à la classe politique, majorité ET opposition, de bien vouloir travailler pour le bien commun, l’intérêt national, le peuple. Les chicaneries politiciennes qui polluent toutes les vieilles démocraties ne sont pas d’une urgence absolue pour un pays qui vit librement depuis seulement deux ans et deux mois.

Did Adel Khadri die for nothing? The question seems indecent, but it is provoked by the silence of the political class, surrounding the announcement of this self-immolation. This is inevitably a return to square zero for the Tunisian revolution, when Mohamed Bouaziz, a fruit and vegetable street vendor sprinkled himself with gas and set himself alight, on December 17, 2010. Prior to and after Bouazizi's [self-immolation], similar cases were registered. The death of Adel Khadri at dawn, should be a call for the entire Tunisian society. A country which offers no hope for its youth, is a fading and collapsing country. It is not a question of asking for miraculous remedies, but rather calling upon the political class, both the majority AND opposition, to work for the common good, the national interest and the people. The political chicaneries which are tainting old democracies are not an urgency for a country which has been living in freedom for only two years and two months.

Secular Politician Shot Dead, Protests Erupt Across Tunisia

Afef Abrougui — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 01:21:23 +0000

Chokri Belaid. Photo taken by Amine Ghrabi on October 15, 2012, shared on Flickr. (CC-NC)

Protests have erupted across Tunisia, following the assassination of Chokri Belaid, a leading member of the secular opposition, and a staunch opponent of the Islamist-led coalition government. His supporters and his mourners are either directly or indirectly accusing the Islamists for his murder.

Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali condemned the murder and described it as an “act of terrorism”, while President Moncef Marzouki cancelled his trip to Cairo where he was supposed to participate at the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

France24 Observers published a video shot by Bel Fekih Amine, Belaid's neighbor on its YouTube page. The video shows the crime scene a few minutes after Belaid was shot dead outside his home in the early hours of February 6, 2013.

Family Accuses Islamists:
The police is still investigating, but Belaid's family is pointing fingers at the Islamist party Ennahdha. ‏@simonsayzzzzz, a journalist working for Agence France Presse tweeted [fr]:

Frère de #ChokriBelaïd: “(…)j'accuse Rached Ghannouchi d'avoir fait assassiner mon frère” #AFP #Tunisie

Chokri Belaid's brother: I accuse Rached Ghannouchi [President of Ennahdha] of assassinating my brother” #AFP #Tunisie

Zannoubia tweeted:

La sœur de #chokribelaid sur l'avenue accuse ennahdha le MI et leurs milices de l'assassinat de son frère. #Tunisie

the sister of Chokri Belaid at the avenue [of Habib Bourguiba] has accused Ennahdha, the ministry of interior and their militias for killing her brother

Ennahdha denied such accusations. Sasa Petricic the Middle East Correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation tweeted:

#Tunisia ruling Islamist Ennahda party denies responsibility in killing of prominent secular opp leader #ChokriBelaid, despite differences

“Assassinated for his ideas”:
Belaid was known for being a vocal critic of the government and Tunisian Islamists. Though, it is still not known who was behind his murder, Tunisian netizens seem to be confident that his anti-Islamist ideas cost him his life.

Haythem tweeted:

On a pu tuer #ChokriBelaid mais ses idées éterniseront

They were able to kill Chokri Belaid, but his ideas will live forever

Leith Ben Ayed said:

RIP #ChokriBelaïd. Un grand homme tué pour ses idées, qu'il ne soit pas mort en vain.

RIP Chokri Belaid. A great man murdered for his ideas. May he not die in vain

Protests Erupt:

Tear gas near Interior Ministry in Tunis. Photo by Amine Ghrabi shared on Flickr. (CC-NC)

As the news of Belaid's murder spread like fire, protests have erupted in several regions of the country. AFP has also reported that the offices of Ennahdha and the government in several provinces of the country were attacked and vandalized.

Police near the Interior Ministry in Tunis, February 6, 2013. Photo by Amine Ghrabi shared on Flickr. (CC-NC)

The collective blog Nawaat reports:

@nawaat:Des milliers de manifestants a #Gafsa. Le local d'Ennahdha saccagé et ses meubles et documents brulés. #chokribelaid

@nawaat: thousands of protesers in Gafsa [south west of Tunisia]. Ennahdha office was ransacked, furniture and documents were burned

@nawaat:A #Redayef le syndicat enseignant décréte la grève générale. Le local d'Ennahdha saccagé et ses meubles brûlés dans la rue #chokribelaid

@nawaat: in Rdeyef [a town in Gafsa, south west of Tunisia], the teachers’ syndicate declared a general strike. Ennahdha's office was ransacked and its furniture burned in the street.

@nawaat: a Sidi Bouzid, des centaines de manifestants tentent de forcer la porte du bâtiment du district de police. #sidibouzid #chokribelaid

@nawaat: In Sidi Bouzid, hundreds of protesers try to break into the police district office

Sasa Petricic tweeted:

Offices of #Tunisia governing party Ennahda attacked after opp’n leader #ChokriBelaid assassinated. Thousands protest in Tunis, SidiBouzid

At Habib Bourguiba Avenue [Tunis], police used tear gas to disperse protesters, who gathered outside the headquarters of the Interior Ministry, chanting anti-government slogans and calling upon the Interior Minister to leave office. France 24 correspondent David Thomson tweeted [fr]:

Tirs de gaz lacrymogène sur l'Avenue Bourguiba, dispersion des manifestants #Tunisie

tear gas at Habib Bourguiba avenue, protesters dispersed

He added in another tweet [fr]:

La situation dégénère en heurts manifestants/police sur #Bourguiba

the situation degenerates into clashes between protesters and police

Privately-owned radio station Shems FM shared the following video showing the chaotic situation at Habib Bourguiba avenue.

The clashes led to the death of a police officer, announced the Interior Ministry on its official facebook page.

Tunisian Army Critic Gets a One-Year Suspended Jail Sentence

Afef Abrougui — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 15:30:26 +0000

Yesterday [January, 4], a Tunis based military court increased the suspended jail of Ayoub Massoudi, a former advisor to Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, from four months to a year. Last September, a primary military court convicted Massoudi to a four-month suspended prison sentence on charges of “defaming” the army and “undermining senior officials in the military”, over his televised declarations [en] regarding the extradition of former Muammar Gaddafi's Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmoudi to Libya. However, on appeal Massoudi's fourth-month jail sentence tripled it.

Ayoub Massoudi, photo via Nawaat

Last July, Massoudi described the extradition of Baghdadi Mahmoudi as “a treason against the State” and accused Rachid Ammar [Chief of Staff of the Tunisian Armed Forces] and Abdelkrim Zbidi [Minister of Defence] of not notifying President Marzouki about the extradition process which took place on June 14. Fearing that he would not get a fair trial in Libya, Marzouki had opposed the extradition of Mahmoudi.

Rached Cherif reports [fr]:

Dans cette affaire, où l’armée est donc juge et partie, le verdict est tombé comme un couperet dans la journée du 4 janvier. Incapable de se désavouer, la justice militaire a alourdi la peine pour la porter à 1 an de prison avec sursis, assortie comme en première instance d’une interdiction de port d’arme et d’une privation de toute distinction honorifique et d’embauche dans la fonction publique.

In this case, where the army is both a judge and a party, the verdict came out of the blue on January 4. Unable to pull back, the military justice increased the sentence to a one-year suspended jail term. As in the first instance, the term was accompanied by a ban to bear arms and a deprivation from any honorary distinction and recruitment for the public service

Massoudi's lawyer told [ar] the award-winning blog Nawaat that the travel ban imposed on Massoudi in August, 2012, has not been lifted yet:

أشار الأستاذ القلّيل أنّ إجراء تحجير السفر إدانة مُسبقة لأيوب المسعودي من طرف القضاء العسكري، و أكّد أنّ تواصل المنع من السفر رغم صدور حكم إبتدائي جُناحي يقضي برفع تحجير السفر

Mr Kelli (lawyer of Ayoub Massoudi) said that the travel ban is a prior conviction to Ayoub Massoudi by the military justice. He added that the ban is still in effect despite a primary verdict ordering its lift

As a result, Massoudi is still unable to join his wife and children, who live in France. On January 1, he published on his personal blog a letter, which he dedicated to his two children:

أدري وأنا أكتب هذه الأسطر متى سنلتقي من جديد لأضمكم إلى صدري وأنفض عن قلوبكم غبار أيام الغياب والوحشة؟ لا أدري متى، ولكن… مصير الأحباء أن يلتقوا، طال الزمن أو قصرلا!

As I write these words, I have no idea when we will meet again, to hug you and brush away [the pain caused] by the days of separation and absence from your hearts. I do not know when… but no matter how much time it takes, loved ones are always destined to meet again

On Twitter, Malek Khadhraoui criticized [fr] the military justice:

Le jugement dans l'affaire de Ayoub Massoudi est scandaleux et confirme que la justice militaire est une mascarade #freeayoub

The verdict in Ayoub Massoudi's case is disgraceful and confirms that the military justice is a masquerade #freeAyoub

@HamdySdiri raises the following question [ar]:

الكلام في الجيش ما يجيش؟ #FreeAyoub

Is army criticism unacceptable?

State of Freedom of Speech in Tunisia in 2012

Afef Abrougui — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 08:51:53 +0000

In 2012, the battle for freedom of expression continued in Tunisia. Though the internet remained uncensored, free speech advocates voiced concerns over the use of religion as a pretext to curb free speech. Meanwhile, a legal void has characterized the Tunisian media landscape as the government continues to ignore a new press law that protects journalists and limits government interference in media.

An uncensored web access :

In February, the highest court of appeal threw out a verdict ordering the filtering of X-rated content. In early September, Tunisia joined the Freedom Online Coalition [en], a group of governments “committed to collaborating to advance internet freedom”. The northernmost African country will also host the coalition's third conference next year.

Despite these positive steps from a country which once was an “internet enemy”, activists remain particularly concerned about the absence of an investigation into internet surveillance and censorship during the former regime. In an interview given to Global Voices, anonymous political cartoonist _Z_ said:

Dictatorship fell 19 months ago, and so far not a single serious investigation into the policing of the web [during the Ben Ali regime] was conducted. This machine, we called Ammar 404, and which was used to spread horror on the Tunisian net (censorship, arrests, threats…), could still be in place today waiting for a reactivation signal.

In August, a group of bloggers and activists vowed to lodge a complaint [en] against the Tunisian Interior Ministry, in order to reveal the identity of those responsible for giving filtering instructions.

Tunisian Internet users also remain at risk of judicial prosecution. In March, 2012, Ghazi Beji and Jabeur Mejri were convicted [en] to seven and half-years in prison over the publication of content offensive to Islam. Mejri, who is still in prison after losing appeal [en], published caricatures of Prophet Muhammad on Facebook. Beji who fled the country, published a book called “The Illusion of Islam” on the document-sharing website Scribd.

Poster of a campaign for freedom of speech organized by Nawaat and IFEX-TMG in May, 2012

Blasphemy :

On August 1, Ennhadha Movement – the party which won last year’s parliamentary election – filed an anti-blasphemy bill [en], to be introduced to the country's Penal Code. The bill has not been debated yet by the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), elected back in October, 2011, to draft the country's new constitution. A week later, the first draft of Tunisia's new constitution was released. The draft contained a clause criminalizing blasphemy. However, following negotiations between the three parties in the ruling coalition, the clause was dropped.

On December 14, the NCA published an amended version of the draft constitution on its website. The new draft does not include a blasphemy clause, guarantees free speech and prohibits prior censorship.

Ennahdha's vows to criminalize blasphemy followed the controversial Spring of Arts [en], a modern contemporary art fair held between June 1 and 10. On June 10, ultra conservative protesters attacked Palais Abdelia, where the fair's closing ceremony was held, and vandalized artworks exhibited there. The protesters accused the fair of exhibiting blasphemous artworks, something the fair's organizers denied. The violent protests were ignited by rumors circulating on the social networking site Facebook, claiming that the fair exhibited a painting depicting Prophet Muhammad.

On May 3, a Tunis-based primary court fined Nabil Karoui, director of the privately owned Nessma TV, 1,200 TND over the broadcast of the animated film Persepolis.

Media executives behind bars:

On February 15, Nasreddine Ben Saida, the general director of the Arabic-language daily newspaper Attounissia was arrested, along with two of the newspaper's journalists, over the publication of a front page photo featuring football player Sami Khedira with his nude girlfriend. The three were later on released.

[from right to left] President Moncef Marzouki, PM Hamadi Jebali and leader of the Islamist party Ennahdha Rached Ghannouchi performing a song on the puppet show Logique Siyasi.

In late August, a Tunis based court ordered the arrest of Sami Fehri, a TV producer and director of Attounissia TV channel, on corruption charges. Fehri co-owned a production company with a Ben Ali in-law.

Before turning himself to the police, Fehri declared that a media advisor to PM Hamdai Jebali, called him to complain about the broadcast of the satirical puppet show, Logique Siyasi [political logic]. The show was suspended in August, but the TV network has recently resumed its broadcast. Fehri was not released despite a verdict issued by the highest court of appeal on November 28, quashing his indictment and detention order [en]. In protest against his ongoing detention, he went on hunger strike. On December 27, he was transferred to hospital after his reported health deterioration.

Press Freedom:

Journalists protest against perceived government interference on October 17. Photo by Rabii Kalboussi

On October 17, Tunisian journalists went on strike to protest against what they described as the government's attempts to curb press freedom and control state-owned media outlets. Journalists also called the government to implement two decree laws adopted in November, 2011, by the former interim government. The two laws [en] (decrees 115 and 116) guarantee freedom of press and independence of state-owned media.

Military and Censorship:

On May 21, an army general confiscated two cameras for Ramzi Bettibi a journalist for the collective blog Nawaat. Bettibi was filming a court hearing in the case of the death of protesters during the uprising that toppled the regime of Ben Ali. For a few days, Bettibi went on hunger strike to call for the lift of restrictions on the coverage of court hearings in what is known as “Martyrs’ case”.

Ayoub Massoudi, a former advisor to current President Moncef Marzouki faces military trial over his televised declarations on the extradition of former Gaddafi PM from Tunisia to Libya. Massoudi described the extradition of Baghdadi Mahmoudi as “a treason against the State” and accused Rachid Ammar [Chief of Staff of the Tunisian Armed Forces] and Abdelkrim Zbidi [Minister of Defence] of not notifying President Marzouki about the extradition process which took place on June 14. On September 21, Messoudi was given a four-month suspended prison sentence. The next court hearing will take place on January 3.

Trial of Graffiti:

“Free Zwewla” Graffiti by Crazy Boys

Oussama Bouagila and Chahine Berriche, graffiti artists and members of the street art community, Zwewla [the poor in Tunisian dialect] are facing legal action for drawing graffiti in support of the poor. They were charged with “writing, without permission, on public property”, “breaching the state of emergency” and “publishing fake news that could disturb public order”. On December 5, a primary court delayed their trial to January 23, 2013.

Tunisian Police Use Shotgun Shells Against Protesters

Afef Abrougui — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:12:05 +0000

Around 265 people were injured on Wednesday during a second day of clashes between security forces and protesters in Siliana, North-West of Tunisia. Clashes started on November 27, when residents of Siliana, an impoverished interior region, staged a general strike and took to the street to call for the departure of the local governor, demand regional development and ask for the release of protesters arrested during another unrest which took place last April.

What highlighted these clashes was the use of shotgun shells by police against protesters. Ali Laarayedh, the Tunisian Minister of Interior, confirmed the police use of shotgun shells to “face destruction and vandalism acts”, he declared yesterday during a televised interview broadcast on state owned Al-Wataniay TV 1.

On November 28, Sami Ben Gharbia reported [ar] on Nawaat.org :

حسب التقارير المصورة و المكتوبة للإحتجاجات التي شهدتها مدينة سليانة البارحة تأكد خبر سقوط العديد من الجرحى جراء استعمال سلاح جديد من قبل قوى «الأمن» ل «احتواء المظاهرات» و الإحتجاجات الإجتماعية و الإقتصادية. و على ما يبدو فإن أمن السيد وزير الداخلية علي العريض بصدد استعمال سلاح جديد في تونس كان قد تم التنديد باستخدامه دوليا خاصة في البحرين

According to the visual and written reports on yesterday's protests in Siliana, several injuries were registered as a result of the use of a new weapon by the security forces, in an attempt to “contain” the socio-economic protests. It seems that the police of Minister of Interior Ali Laarayedh, are deploying a new weapon in Tunisia, whose use brought international condemnation especially in Bahrain.

Ben Gharbia adds:

وقد جاءت شهادات المواطنين و الأطباء لتؤكد خبر أستخدام قوات الأمن التونسي بسليانة لبنادق الصيد لتفريق المتظاهرين و إصابة البعض بشظايا رصاصها. إسم السلاح المستعمل في البحرين و الذي يبدو أنه استعمل هو أو شبيهه في تونس هو “الشوزن“. و هو عبارةعن بنادق للصيد ذات الرصاص المتشظي أو الانشطار ش

The testimonies of citizens and doctors came to confirm that Tunisian security forces used hunting rifles in Siliana to disperse protesters and wounded some of them with bullet pellets. The name of the weapon used in Bahrain, which is probably the same the similar of what is used in Tunisia is called “shotgun“. Shotgun is a hunting rifle.

Two wounded young men by Italian made shotguns: photo via Nawaat

Nawaat also reported that this type of firearm, deployed by police forces in Siliana, was made by an Italian company called Nobel Sport. Ben Gharbia posted the contact details of this company and made a call to Tunisian citizens to exercise pressure on this company to stop exporting such weapons to Tunisia.

The award-winning blog also published a Youtube video of injured persons arriving from Siliana to a Tunis-based ophthalmology clinic to get treatment after they were wounded in their eyes [Warning: Graphic content]:

The use of shotgun shells shocked and outraged Tunisian netizens. Tounsiahourra tweeted [ar]:

هل يعلم الحقوقي المرزوقي الذي تسلم قبل يومين جائزة تشاتام هاوس ان شبابا فقدوا البصر في سليانة لأن الأمن اطلق رصاص الرش في عيونهم ؟ #Siliana

Does the rights activist Marzouki [Tunisia President], who two days ago was awarded the Chatham House prize [en], know that young men who have lost their sight due to shotgun shells fired by police?

Tunisian journalist Nadia Haddaoui quotes [fr] Amnesty:

“La #chevrotine peut provoquer traumatismes majeurs et des décès si elle est tirée à faible distance” #Amnesty #Egypte #Bahrein #Siliana

“shotgun shell could lead to major trauma and death if fired from a short distance”

Selim raises a major question [fr]:

Comment ont-ils juste pu accepter d'utiliser ce type de munitions contre les tunisiens?? Blessures graves, risque d'aveuglement.. #siliana

How could they accept to use such type of ammunition against Tunisians?? serious injuries, and lost of sight risks…#Siliana

Editor-in-chief of Nawaat.org, Malek Kahdhraoui said that last June police used the same type of ammunition against demonstrators protesting against what they deemed as a “blasphemous” art exhibtion:

L'utilisat° des armes à grenaille pr la police n'est pas nouvelle. Au mois 2juin +eurs 10énes de blessés par ces armes http://nawaat.org/portail/2012/0

The use of shotgun shells by police is not new. In June, several dozens of injuries due to these weapons were registered http://nawaat.org/portail/2012/0

France24 journalist David Thomson was also injured by shotgun shells. He tweeted a picture of his injured leg:

#Tunisie et me voici à l'hôpital de #Siliana blessé par un tir de chevrotines mais ça va, il y a des blessés graves pic.twitter.com/SJesLq5Z

Here I am in #Siliana hospital wounded by a shotgun shell, but I am fine, there are serious injuries pic.twitter.com/SJesLq5Z

The general strike in Siliana continues. Meanwhile, protests in other regions of the country were staged to condemn police violence and stand in solidarity with Siliana.

Two Tunisian Graffiti Artists to Face Trial

Afef Abrougui — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:38:46 +0000

On 3 November 2012, police caught graffiti artists, Oussama Bouagila and Chahine Berriche drawing graffiti in Gabes, in the South East of Tunisia. Bouagila and Berriche are members of Zwewla [ar] [ "the poor" in Tunisian dialect], a street art community famous for its graffiti in support of the poor and marginalized groups in Tunisia.

Bouagila and Berriche face charges of “writing, without permission, on public property”, “breaching the state of emergency” and “publishing fake news that could disturb public order”. The two young graffiti artists have remained free pending their trial, scheduled on December 5.

Another graffiti by Zwewla in Sousse, central East Tunisia: “The employed and the unemployed are against injustice and exploitation”

Oussama Bouajila told Nawaat.org that when police caught him and Berriche, they were inscribing a graffiti that says “the people want the poor's rights.”

Slateafrique's Tawa fi Tunis blog quoted [fr] Bouajila saying:

Nous avons fait ce mouvement de graffiti parce que personne ne parle de nous, de nos problèmes de chômage, de pauvreté et de marginalisation. Nous avons donc décidé de parler par nous-mêmes. Pourquoi le graffiti? Parce que le graffiti est plus accessible au tunisien qui n’a pas Facebook par exemple.

We created this graffiti movement because no one speaks about us and the problems of unemployment, poverty and marginalization that we face. So, we have decided to speak for ourselves. Why graffiti? Graffiti is more accessible for the Tunisian [citizen] who does not have access to Facebook, for instance.

“They buried the poor alive”, graffiti by Zwewla. Photo by Hamideddine Bouali

On the other hand, Berriche complained [fr] about Tunisian legislation which he “says does not guarantee freedom of expression”:

Le problème, ce n’est pas la police qui a essayé de nous arrêter ou qui nous a confisqué notre matériel. Le vrai problème, c’est la loi qui s’applique pour les uns et pas pour les autres. Et la loi en elle-même ne garantie par la liberté d’expression et continuer de réprimer avec les mêmes méthodes des anciens dictateurs, les activistes et militants

The problem here, is not the police which tried to arrest us or confiscate our equipment. The real problem is that law is applied to certain persons but not others. Besides, this law in itself does not guarantee freedom of expression, and still oppresses along with the old dictators’ methods, activists.

Palestine: President Abbas Abandons Palestinian Right of Return

Afef Abrougui — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 20:37:27 +0000

In an interview given to an Israeli television station, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has relinquished his “right of return” to his birth town Safed, now a district in Northern Israel.

“It’s my right to see it [Safed], but not to live there,” said Abbas. “I believe that [the] West Bank and Gaza is Palestine, and the other parts (are) Israel,” he added.

What is the Palestinian Right of Return?

Abbas's declaration represent a blow to and an abandonment of the Palestinian “right of return.” Supporters of this principle believe that tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants have the right to return to the home towns they were displaced from, and reclaim any property they were dispossessed off as a result of the 1948 occupation of Palestine and the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Indeed, during the 1948 Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine , as described by Israeli Historian Ilan Pappe, hundreds of Palestinian villages were destroyed and tens of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes by the Jewish paramilitary organizations Haganah and Irgun in order to establish the State of Israel.

Also, as a result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, during which Israel fought its Arab neighboring states of Egypt, Syria and Jordan, thousands of more Palestinians were displaced out of Gaza Strip and the West Bank, when the Israeli forces occupied these territories.

According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the number of Palestinian refugees is estimated at 5 million. For decades, the formal Palestinian demand for the “right of return” to what is today known as the State of Israel has represented a key obstacle in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. A Palestinian return on such a scale would drastically shift Israel's demographics and increase the Palestinian population there at the expense of the Jewish one, something Israel would not allow to happen.

Social Media Reactions:

Munnera, a Palestinian living in Qatar, tweets:

#Abbas speaks for himself and only himself. Palestinians will never give up their ‘right to return'.

Rafeef Ziadah, a Palestinian performance poet and activist based in London, shares the same view:

Abbas does not speak for any Palestinian refugee, we did not elect him…

Shaima asks whether Abbas is giving up on the Palestinian demand of the “right of return”:

#Abbas says he has no right to return to the place of his birth (Safed) as a resident but visit it as a tourist. Is he conceding the ROR [right of return]?!

“My name is Zina, I will return to my home town Ijzem in Haifa”, “My name is Yasmin, I will return to my home town Ijzem in Haifa” photo via twitter user @SafaAMadi

Abbas’ declarations did not surprise Ahmed Masoud, a Palestinian writer and academic, also living in London.

Why is everyone surprised about what #Abbas said but never do when he goes to negotiate? The guy sold out ages ago #Palestine #Belfour

Asa Winstanley, Electronic Intifada editor called Abbas Kalb [Arabic for dog] for such televised renouncement. He writes:

Abbas goes on Israeli TV and personally renounces his right to return. And yet he still didn't grovel enough for Israelis. Bow lower, kalb [dog]

On Electronic Intifada, Nour Joudah, a Palestinian teacher based in Ramallah, answered Abbas:

My father is almost 80 years old and he has more than the right to visit Isdoud. I, and my siblings, have more than the right to see the grass of where a village once stood. I have the right to return and rebuild Palestine from the ground up. All of it. And so does every refugee and their descendents.

The kids from Safad living in Shatila and Ein el-Hilweh, and all the camps of Lebanon, are not dreaming of your Ramallah, Mr. President. They are dreaming of their Safad.

If I or they want to sign away our right of return, we will let you know.

Don’t mistake your people’s exhaustion and frustration for surrender. Don’t mistake the young people’s re-organizing and re-acquainting themselves with their own history for lack of vision.

Balfour Declaration:

Abbas’ televised statements coincided with the 95th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration of 1917, considered as “the first significant declaration by a world power in favour of a Jewish “national home” in what was known as Palestine”.

The declaration (dated 2 November, 1917) was a letter written by the then British Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour and addressed to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the Jewish community in Britain. In the letter, Balfour expressed the British “sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations” and approval of the “establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”.

Asa Winstanley tweets:

The 95th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration that led to the destruction of Palestine. I have unending contempt for British Empire

He adds:

As a Welshman I feel I must point out it's a disgrace David Lloyd George was the Prime Minister responsible for the Balfour Declaration

Twitter user @Tsharrafna commented:

#Abbas’ treacherous statements coincided with the anniversary of history's most treacherous incident: the Balfour Declaration. #Balfour

Lebanon: A Virtual Museum for Censorship

Afef Abrougui — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 08:19:30 +0000

Lebanon now boasts a Virtual Museum of Censorship, an online database of censorship cases in Lebanon since the 1940s. The website was launched by Lebanese organization MARCH to draw attention to information kept away from people.

On September 2, 2012, the day the Museum of Censorship was launched, MARCH said:

WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL MUSEUM OF CENSORSHIP IN LEBANON !

Ever wondered WHAT was censored in Lebanon, WHEN, and particularly WHY? You have come to the right place.
Here, you will be able to look up material that was censored since the 1940′s !

Heard of something that is being censored, is under the threat of being censored or has been censored in the past that we have missed/failed to spot? Feel free to report it in order to complete the database.

Netizens can report censored movies, music, theater pieces, books, print and audiovisual content from 1940s to date on the website. They are required to give the name of the censored work, the censorship date, entity and reason.

For instance, Charlie Chaplin's Great Dictator was banned in 1940 for its anti-Nazi views. While, in 1990 LBC International received threats from the National Audiovisual Media Council to suspend its transmission over the broadcast of an interview with David Levy, the Israeli foreign Minister at that time.

In 2012, Lebanese journalist Moustafa Geha survived an assasination attempt, a cartoonist who drew Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was threatened, and Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis was banned from bookshops for “offending Islam and Iran.”

Who censors in Lebanon?

The Virtual Museum of Censorship lists four main Lebanese censorship entities:

General Security: Licensing, Monitoring, Censoring creative works

Ministry of Information: Prohibiting the entry of a foreign publication; confiscating copies of it
Provides licenses to publish for periodical publications
May suspend a TV channel for a maximum period of 3 days
Can censor cinematic works from the preliminary stage of the censorship process, along with the General Security

The special administrative committee: In the case that General Security finds what it considers enough cause to prevent part or all of the film from being screened, a decision shall be made by the committee according to a majority vote of its member to allow the film to be screened as it is, to edit certain parts of the film or to ban the film from being screened altogether. The final decision shall officially be issued by the Ministry of Interior, alone.

The National Audiovisual Media Council:The Council has become a “media watchdog”. It started off as an advisory board for the government to regulate television and radio broadcasting; the council's authority is now expanding to include regulating websites and blogs (what? exercises post- censorship on TV, radio and Internet

Censorship motives

In Lebanon, censorship practices are either politically, religiously or morally motivated. The Virtual Museum of Censorship explains:

Political reasons: regarding foreign relations with friendly countries, the censor pays considerable attention to the political sensitivities of Arab regimes and endeavors to safeguard diplomatic relations with these countries as well as banning attacks on the Palestinian cause and Arabs in general. Films on the civil war have been routinely censored since the nineties on the basis that referring to the conflict “threatens civil peace”.

Israel: regarding relations with enemy states, censorship is firstly based on a national law that calls for the boycott of all Israeli products. Secondly, there is censorship of all forms of publicity or compassion for Israel : this boycott was initially observed by the entire Arab League. Today, only Lebanon and Syria adhere to it stringently(…)

Religion: General Security will send creative works it thinks might upset religious sensitivities to their respective governing bodies (usually the Catholic Information Center or the Dar-al-Fatwa, which is Lebanon’s highest Sunni Muslim authority). Scenes or topics that question the ability of religion to counter evil and offensive scenes are removed.

Obscene and Immoral content: regarding censorship material which offends public morals, contains scenes of nudity, sex and foul language are strictly censored and the censor generally determines the extent to which the film or work does not offend public morals. Also, works that promote homosexuality are prohibited but violent scenes or scenes depicting drug use are allowed.

Twitter reactions

On Twitter, the initiative was welcomed:

@SultanAlQassemi: This is a brilliant idea: The Virtual Museum of Censorship (Lebanon) censorshiplebanon.org via @Sandmonkey Every Gulf state needs one

@mirabaz: This is great: what was censored, when and why–> censorshiplebanon.org v @SultanAlQassemi

@ramseygeorge: This is fantastic

Biking from Tunisia to China for Wetland Conservation

Afef Abrougui — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 08:09:52 +0000

Seven months ago, Arafet Ben Marzou, a 31-year-old Tunisian who graduated from a Biological and Environmental Engineering School, gave up his job as a university teacher and decided to pursue his childhood dream - traveling from Tunisia to China on a bike.

He started his journey in Tunisia and crossed the Mediterranean sea to Istanbul. He cycled through Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. He is now in Xinjiang, China.

Ben Marzou has been providing updates about his trip through his Facebook page Tabba'ani (translated as “follow me” from the Tunisian dialect). On August 30, he wrote:

in china… alive.. i will update soon :)))

Xinjiang, China photo via Facebook page Follow Me

This travel project, entitled Wet-bike [fr], comes within the framework of an environmental battle for the conservation of wetlands and their resources. Ben Marzou's West Asia bike tour from one Ramsar site to another aims at raising awareness about the human and environmental value of wetlands and the dangers that threaten such areas. Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Photo taken in Azerbaijan. Via Ben Marzou's Facebook page Follow Me.

On February, 2, the day Ben Marzou hit the road, the World Wildlife Fund Tunis office wrote [fr]:

Pour cette initiative le message transmis est principalement un message d’une dimension humaine et environnementale.
A travers ce périple, il essayerai entre autres de porter une réflexion autour des lacs et des zones humides, et ceci par le partage des photos, vidéos, le contact des gens sur place et le partage de leurs expériences…

This initiative's message is mainly of a human and environmental dimension. Through this trek, he [Ben Marzou] will try to reflect on lakes and wetland areas, by sharing photos, videos and by getting in touch with local peoples and sharing their experiences…

Challenges

To make his dream come true, Ben Marzou came face to face with several challenges which he shared via his Facebook page. On July 26, he said:

encore la.. pour le malheur de la route qui reste :))) , des aventures a couper le souffle.. encore en Afghanistan et encore a velo.. merci pour vos messages touchants et sympa, hamdoullah tout va bien, traverser le Hidu kush a becane etait un fort challenge, 5 jours, 120 km et 3400 m d'altitude, sinon je suis quelques part entre kabul et Mazar-sherif

I'm still here..for the remaining road misfortunes :))), breathtaking adventures..I'm still biking in Afghanistan…thanks for your moving and compassionate messages. Praise to God, everything is fine. Crossing the Hindu Kush [a long mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan] was a big challenge: 5 days, 120 km, and an altitude of 3,400 meters. Otherwise, I'm somewhere between Kabul and Mazar Sharif

Fortunately, Ben Marzou did not fall hostage to the Taliban. He was rather welcomed to spend the night in an Afghani viallge. Photo via Ben Marzou's Facebook page

One week earlier he shared tips to follow in case he was detained by the Taliban:

Première leçon enseignée dictée et ordonné par les militaires afghans, en cas où je tombe en otage par les talibans, il ne faut en aucun cas parler en anglais, l’arabe peux être très utile, ta religion peux aussi te sauver, si tu arrives à leur faire expliquer que t’es musulman avant qu’ils te tirent dessus, t’a une chance de survivre…

The first lesson given, dictated and ordered by Afghani soldiers: in case I am taken hostage by the Taliban, under no circumstances should I speak in English. Arabic could be very useful. My religion could also save me. If I succeed explaining to them that I'm a Muslim before they shoot at me, I would have a survival chance…

On August 5, he reported [fr]:

la route du Pamir est fermee… cela complique d'avantage le trajet :/ cette incroyable route qui traverse les Himalaya a travers le tajikistan et le kyrgyzestan est temporairement fermee… des affrontement avec les talibans en cause… pour ma part je serai reellement en impasse..
des suggestions..??

Pamir road [a road which crosses the Pamir Mountains through Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia] is closed…this further complicates the journey :/ this incredible road which crosses the Himalayas through Tajikistan and Kyrgystan is temporarily closed…owing to clashes with the Taliban…for me this represents a real dead-end. Any suggestions?

On August 10, he disclosed the greatest challenge he faced during this venture [fr]:

je crois que, plus que tout, le vrai challenge dans cette aventure, c'est le fait d'affronter le blocus administratif et reglementaire de ces ex-republiques sovietiques avec mon cher passeport Tunisien

I believe that more than any other thing, the real challenge in this adventure is confronting the administrative and regulatory blockade imposed by former Soviet countries with my dear Tunisian passport

Ben Marzou cycling in Afghanistan. Photo via Facebook page Follow Me

Iran: First encounter with Shia Islam

Shia shrine in Iran

On his Facebook page, Ben Marzou shared with his fans once in a life time experiences, and lessons he learned from this seven month-long journey. As I neither have the space nor the energy to translate all of Ben Marzou's interesting stories, I decided to share with Global Voices readers his Iran journey.

In Iran, Ben Marzou, who comes from a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, encountered Shia Islam. Some differences in beliefs and practices, between the two major Islam sects sometimes led to sectarian violence in countries like Iraq, and Lebanon.

On July 16, he published the following post:

Et c'est la fin d’une aventure persane qui a duré 70 jours, 700 km de vélo et plusieurs milliers de km de route, c’est une des étapes les plus intenses dont je me rappellerai toujours, ce grand pays plein de contrastes, plein de vie et de désir, je me rappellerai toujours de cette hospitalité inégalable, de cet amour du partage, « almousafér 7abibou allah » tel croient les descendants d’Ali…

Ce fut aussi ma première rencontre avec le chiisme, que loin de toute comparaison inutile je respecte…

«T’es chiite ou sunnite » c’est une des questions qui s’est fréquemment posée
« Je suis musulman tout court » tel était ma réponse,

Et là curieusement, et presque toujours, un grand sourire se dessine sur le visage de mon interlocuteur…

It is the end of a Persian experience which lasted 70 days, 700km on bike, and thousands more kilometers driving. It is one of the most intense stages, which I will always remember. A large country [Iran], full of contrasts, of life, and desire. I will always remember this incomparable hospitality, and this love to share. “The traveller is the Beloved of God”, that is how Ali's descendants think…[In Shia Islam Ali is regarded as the rightful successor of Prophet Muhammad]

It was my first encounter with Shia Islam, which away from any useless comparison I do respect(…)
“Are you a Shia or a Sunni Muslim?” was one of the frequently asked questions.
“I'm just a Muslim,” I would answer.
Then strangely, and almost always a big smile takes shape on the face of the person addressing me…

Tunisian Political Cartoonist _Z_: ‘Nothing Has Really Changed’

Afef Abrougui — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 11:03:50 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Tunisian anonymous political cartoonist ‘_Z_’ has been using his blog debatunisie.com to express himself since 2007. His caricatures which did not please former autocratic ruler Zeine el-Abidin Ben Ali, do not seem to please Tunisia’s Islamists either.

_Z_ says that there are only two red lines he never crosses: “libel, and racism.” For him, religion should not be a taboo, and this is what provoked some Internet users who reported his Facebook page over caricatures which they deemed insulting to Islam. On August 7, 2011, _Z_ wrote:

En réponse à leurs protestations les robots de Zuckerberg m'interdisent durant 30 jours de publier sur mon profil(…)La guerre contre les “bonnes mœurs”, la morale religieuse, la bigoterie, doit être absolue. En ce qui me concerne, il est évident que je serai bientôt hors-la loi à partir du moment que la constituante validera la loi sur l'atteinte au sacré.

In response to their complaints, Zuckerberg's robots have prohibited me from publishing on my Facebook profile for 30 days (…) The war against “good morals”, religious morality, and bigotry shall be absolute. For me, it is obvious that I will soon turn into an outlaw once the assembly (in charge of drafting a new constitution) passes the anti-blasphemy law

I interviewed _Z_ via e-mail about his caricatures, anonymity, religion and freedom of expression in Tunisia.

Global Voices (GV): When and why did you decide to use the blogosphere to publish your cartoons?

_Z_: I launched my blog on 28 August, 2007. Since the beginning, it was obvious to me that my target would be the regime of Ben Ali. First, I only wrote texts. Then, I had the idea of accompanying my writings with drawings. This had earned my blog uniqueness, and attracted larger audience.

Even though, the adage “a picture is better that a long speech” remains true, it was important for me to emphasize writing because my action, in the first place, was political and intellectual, something the caricature on its own cannot assure.

GV: You are known under the pseudonym _Z_. Almost 19 months after the fall of the Ben Ali regime, you still prefer to conceal your identity. Why is that?

_Z_: My position toward the former Ben Ali regime necessitated utmost vigilance from my part regarding my identity. I definitely had to protect myself to avoid any retaliation. Dictatorship fell 19 months ago, and so far not a single serious investigation into the policing of the web [during the Ben Ali regime] was conducted. This machine, we called Ammar 404, and which was used to spread horror on the Tunisian net (censorship, arrests, threats…), could still be in place today waiting for a reactivation signal. So, for me nothing has really changed despite appearances and this is why I still keep my anonymity.

“The Tunisia National Theater presents (for the fifth time) the electoral comedy”. Cartoon published on the occasion of the 2009 Tunisia presidential and legislative elections

GV: No one ever dared to mock Ben Ali and ridicule his regime the way you did. The former regime did not succeed in revealing your real identity. How did you manage to protect your anonymity? Any tips to share with online cyber-dissidents wishing to hide their identities?

_Z_: In order to protect themselves, they simply have to separate their dissident lives from their daily lives. Using different e-mails and proxies. But most important, maintaining utmost discretion and avoid talking about it even to the closest circles. Abrogation often permitted the arrest of cyber dissidents and this was the case for Zouhaier Yahyaoui. [Tunisia’s first cyber-dissident to be condemned and jailed]

GV: For you there are no red lines. With the Islamists’ rise to power, you have started not only criticizing them, but also drawing Islamic religious symbols (God, prophets…). This has provoked Islamists who reported your Facebook page Debatunisie. Could provocation help break taboos?

_Z_: I only consider libel, and racist insults as red lines. Otherwise, there is nothing that can justify any kind of censorship. Even though I’m aware that I do hurt the feelings of some, I believe that we have to elevate the supremacy of freedom above religious sacredness (even if it represents the majority) and accept the famous adage that says “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”.

For me, democracy is not complying with the dominant thought (which leads to the dictatorship of the majority), but rather the ability to express publicly any idea, be it pertaining to a minority or disturbing, as long as it is neither defamatory nor racist.

For me this is about freedom of conscience (article 5 of the constitution) which makes the notion of the sacred relative. So, the blasphemous only exists within a religious system, but not within a system that tolerates freedom of conscience. Even though article 5 still exists today, in practice it is being ignored. They brought legal proceedings against Nessma TV over the broadcast of an animation representing God. They sentenced a netizen to seven and half-years in prison over the publishing of blasphemous caricatures. So, it is very clear that in practice, the religious taboo comes ahead of freedom of conscience, and therefore ahead of all freedoms

final draft of the new constitution preamble which he says "stinks with an identity obsession"." src="http://globalvoicesonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Z-1-229x300.jpg" alt="A woman writes "freedom, justice and dignity" on the floor. She is surrounded by the Islamic Shahada in the shape of cement walls. Via this caricature published on June, 10 _Z_ criticizes final draft of the new constitution preamble which he says "stinks with an identity obsession"." width="229" height="300" />

A woman writes “freedom, justice and dignity” on the floor. She is surrounded by the Islamic Shahada in the shape of cement walls. Via this caricature published on June, 10 _Z_ criticizes final draft of the new constitution preamble which he says “stinks with an identity obsession”.

GV: The Islamist party Ennahdha recently proposed an anti-blasphemy bill. Do you have concerns, that in case the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) approves this bill, your caricatures will soon be censored?

_Z_: After the birth of a revolution in the name of freedom, we absolutely do not have the right to draw the map of our liberties in terms of taboos and religious bans. It is like starting with the grilles when drawing the plan of a garden. This is what the Islamists are doing, and this why I am against their policies. I will keep on playing the provocation card even if it displeases a large number of my audience, or if it is going to make me an outlaw because there is indeed a risk that the NCA would approve this anti-revolutionary bill

GV: The fall of the Ben Ali regime revealed talented Tunisian cartoonists. What do you think of these new talents?

_Z_: This is obvious and fortunate. Yet, many envy my anonymity. This is not a good sign as it shows the comeback of fear and censorship. Despite all this, I do admit that we are still enjoying a freedom atmosphere incomparable with what we used to live under during the regime of Ben Ali.

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Tunisia: Former Presidential Advisor Faces Military Trial Over Army Criticism

Afef Abrougui — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 15:15:27 +0000

Ayoub Massoudi, a former advisor to Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, faces a military trial over his declarations regarding the extradition of former Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmoudi (under Gaddafi).

Fearing that Mahmoudi would not get a fair trial in Libya, President Moncef Marzouki had opposed the extradition. Yet, the government presided over by Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali sent Mahmoudi back home on June 24, 2012, without notifying the president who on that same day was touring the south of Tunisia, accompanied by Rachid Ammar [Chief of Staff of the Tunisian Armed Forces] and Abdelkrim Zbidi [Minister of Defence].

In a televised interview, dated July 15, and aired on the privately-owned Attounisia TV channel, Massoudi described the extradition process as a “treason against the State”, because Ammar and Zbidi who “were aware of the extradition, its time, and all of its circumstances… did not utter a word, and did not inform the President who is the Commander-in-Chief.”

“Freedom to Ayaoub Massoudi” “the military is not a red line” photo via Nawaat.org

Following a complaint lodged against him by General Rachid Ammar, Ayoub Massoudi faces charges of “harming the army's dignity, reputation, and morale” and “accusing without proof a public officer.

#FreeAyoub

Although Ayoub is not behind bars, a travel ban was imposed on him. On August 16, authorities at the Tunis Carthage Airport prevented him from boarding a plane to join his family in Paris.

Chayma Mehdi tweets [fr]:

#AyoubMassouadi n'a pas été arrêté certes, n’empêche #FreeAyoub. Parce-qu’on est censé être libre de quitté ou non notre pays.

Ayoub Massoudi was certainly not arrested. Yet, #FreeAyoub, bacause we are supposed to be free to leave our country or not

Malek Khadhraoui, editor-in-chief of Nawaat.org, reports [fr]:

Ayoub Massoudi n'a reçu aucune notification au sujet de la plainte déposée contre lui par l'armée

Ayoub Massoudi did not receive any notification about the complaint lodged against him by the army

“Treason against the State” not “High Treason”

The award-winning collective blog Nawaat.org obtained a copy of General Ammar's testimony in Massoudi's case. Ramzi Bettibi (aka Winston Smith) reports [ar]:

يعترف الفريق أوّل رشيد عمّار أثناء إستجوابه في صدر شهادته أنّه كان على علم بقرار تسليم البغدادي المحمودي و أنّه لم يُبلغ بذلك رئيس الجمهوريّة.من جهة أخرى يظهر جليّا الخطأ الذي وقع فيه المُشتكي… إذ يزعم الجنرال عمّار الجنرال عمّار أنّه وُجّهت له تهمة “الخيانة العظمى” في حين أنّ المسعودي وجّه ولوزير الدفاع قبله تهمة “خيانة دولة”.

During the interrogation, General Rachid Ammar admitted in his testimony that he had been aware about the decision to extradite Baghdadi Mahmoudi, and did not inform the President. On the other hand, the mistake committed by the plaintiff is obvious…Gen. Ammar claims that he was accused [by Massoudi during the televised interview] of “high treason”, while Massoudi accused him and the Defense Minister of “treason against the State”

Bettibi adds:

محضر تأدية شهادة الجنرال رشيد عمّار باطل قانونا حسب مُحامي الدفاع نظرا لعدم تأديته القَسم قبل الإدلاء بشهادته، فهل مُنع المستشار السابق في رئاسة الجمهورية أيّوب المسعودي من السفر و الإلتحاق بعائلته في فرنسا أثناء عيد الفطر بسبب إجراء باطلٍ قانوناً ؟

According to a lawyer, Gen. Rachid Ammar's testimony is legally invalid because he did not take oath before testifying. Was the former Presidential advisor Ayoub Massoudi prevented from traveling, and joining his family in France for Eid festivities because of a legally invalid procedure?

Trial to resume next week

Protest staged outside the Tunis Military Court in support of Massoudi. Photo via Nawaat.

On August 22, the second hearing in Massoudi's case took place at the Tunis based Permanent Military Court. The trial will resume on August 30. Nawaat reports [fr] on its Facebook page:

#freeayoub La deuxième audition de Ayoub Massoudi vient de s'achever. Le juge d'instruction militaire a décidé d'une 3e audition le 30 août 2012. Ayoub Massoudi y comparaîtra libre mais demeure sous le coup de l'interdiction de voyager

The second hearing of Ayoub Massoudi has just come to an end. The investigating magistrate scheduled a third hearing for August 30, 2012. Massoudi will appear free before court, but he is still under a travel ban

Ayoub Massoudi resignation

It is worth mentioning that Ayoub Massoudi resigned on June 28, after serving as President Marzouki's top media advisor for ten months. The decision came in protest at what Massoudi described as his “exclusion” from decision-making in the presidential cabinet.

He announced his resignation on his blog in a post [fr] entitled “Je suis enfin libre” (Free at last). He wrote:

C'est en toute liberté et sans aucune contrainte ou pression que j'annonce cette démission, motivée par le respect immense que je voue à la Révolution tunisienne, aux martyrs, à l'Etat, aux tunisiens et à tous les contribuables qui payent mon salaire pour un métier que je n'exerce pas dans les faits. Pourtant, dieu sait combien j'ai essayé.

Motivated by the immense respect I hold in regard to the Tunisian Revolution, the State, to Tunisians and all the taxpayers who pay my salary for a job I do not really do, I announce my resignation, with complete freedom, and without any constraint and pressure. Yet, God knows how much I tried

Mauritania: Using Twitter to Mock the President

Afef Abrougui — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:00:06 +0000

On August 6, Mauritanian President General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz appeared [ar] on national television. During that televised appearance, police assaulted [ar] a journalist while he was covering the arrest [ar] of, and the aggression towards a guest who called upon the General to leave. Mauritanian Twitter users followed the events in real time, and reacted via the hash tag #مسرحية _الجنرال [ar] (The General's Play).

All this took place during a live transmitted and long TV show under the title “Encounter with the People.” The televised appearance [of the President] coincided with the anniversary of the 2008 coup d'état, which led to the overthrow of Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, Mauritania's first civil and elected President.

The President was insulting the opposition, and accused it of serving the interests of foreign parties. He also ridiculed the opposition's demand which called upon the regime to leave. The Movement of Mauritanian Youth [ar] staged several protests against the televised appearance of the General, and called for the fall of his regime. Dozens of I.R.A.[Abolitionist movement in Mauritania] activists staged a protest [ar] in front of the Justice Ministry building, and the Mauritanian Radio headquarters in protest against the President's slavery declarations during the TV show. They considered his statements as a denial of slavery in public, while standing by the side of slave owners in private.

Mauritanian President, photo published by alkachiv blog

Activist Abdel Fetah Habib mocked the President's low education level:

@afetah لم يتكلم عن إنشاء جامعات عليمة بل يفهم فقط في التكوين المهني. هذا مستواه #مسرحية _الجنرال

@afetah He did not talk about establishing universities, as he only understands vocational training. That's his level. #مسرحية _الجنرال

Activist Baba Ould Deye echoed similar sentiments. He tweeted about the General's failure to obtain even the lowest educational qualifications:

@babadeye العالم الليلة يتابع حدث نزول مسبار كيوريوسيتي علي #المريخ،ونحن نتابع #مسرحية _الجنرال الذي لا يمتلك شهادة ثانوية #Curiositylands #موريتانيا

@babadeye: Tonight, the world is following Curiosity landing on Mars, and we are watching the play of the general who does not have a high school degree

Writer and blogger Abu Abbass Braham mentioned the General's history:

@abbassbraham مازال الذكي يتهم المعارضة بالانتماء للنظام السابق، رغم أنه كان حارسه مدة عشرين عاما.

@abbassbraham The smart one is still accusing the opposition of allegiance to the former regime, though he was its guardian for 20 years.

Sidi Ettaieb Ould Mojteba commented on the President's lies:

@mojteba الجنرال يتحدى كل من يقول أن في موريتانيا يوجد بها قمع، ويبدو أنه نسي قضية المشظوفي الذي قتل بدم بارد

@mojteba: The General challenges anyone saying there is oppression in Mauritania. It seems that he forgot about the case of Machdhoufi murdered in cold blood.

Khalil Ould Jdoud, Al-Arabiya correpondent, commented on the same thing:

@KHjdoud مسكين مسيلمة وجدنا من يزايد عليه في الكذب، يستحق العريف دخول الموسوعة العالمية وأن تضرب به العرب المثل

@KHjdoud : Poor Musaylimah [known as "the Liar", he claimed to be a Prophet], now we have someone who lies more than him. The knowledgeable deserves to be included in an international encyclopedia, and to be considered as a role model for Arabs.

Ahmed Ould Ennahoui mentioned a caller who accused the General of lying:

@nahmedou متصل رائع كذب الجنرال #مسرحية _الجنرال #موريتانيا

@nahmedouA wonderful caller, he accused the general of lying

Mejdi Ahmad expressed his lack of interest towards the General's televised appearance:

@mejdmr علي العموم أنا لم اتابع #مسرحية_الجنرال ولا أبحث عن إعادتها إطلاقا !!

@mejdmr: I did not watch the General's play, and I'm not looking for its replay

Mohammed Abdou inquired about the destiny of the young man arrested at the TV studio:

@medabdou شباب هل لديكم خبر حول المعتقلين في #مسرحية_الجنرال البارحة ؟ ماهي أخبارهم هل أطلق سراحهم؟ #موريتانيا

@medabdouDo you have updates about those arrested during the General's play? Were they released?

Activist Bab Ould Hourma pocked fun at the TV host:

@bHourma اللحظة التاريخية يا منت اليلي لم تحن بعد.. يوم تحين تلك اللحظة ستهربين كما فعلت هالة المصراتي!!

@bHourma Oh Ment Elli (TV host), the historical moment is not here yet…when that moment comes, you will run away like Hala Misrati

Journalist Yacoub Ould Mohamed Salem also commented on the TV host's lies:

@YacoubBHD أحدهم اتصل عبر الهاتف.. بدأ ينتقد انقطع الاتصال فاعتذر المقدم لأن المتدخل اختار قطع الاتصال بنفسه #مسرحية_الجنرال #موريتانيا

@YacoubBHDSomeone called on the phone..He started criticizing, and communication was cut. The TV host apologized, and said that the caller willingly chose to end his phone call.

Mauritania: Diplomat Sets Himself Alight

Afef Abrougui — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:25:22 +0000

A few minutes before Iftar (the time Muslims break their fast in Ramadan), Hassan Ould Abba [ar], a Mauritanian diplomat who used to work as an advisor at the Mauritanian Embassy in Kuwait, set himself alight [ar] in the district of Ksar, North of the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott. An ambulance rushed to rescue him, but he passed away upon arrival at hospital.

It is worth mentioning that this is not the first self-immolation suicide case in Mauritania. Two years ago, following Bouazizi‘s self immolation, Yacoub Ould Dahoud [ar], a Mauritanian citizen, set himself on fire in protest at injustices, after leaving a message on his blog criticizing the situation in Mauritania.

Media sources reported that the diplomat was upset because the Mauritanian regime banned him from traveling to his workplace, and replaced [ar] him with another diplomat who does not hold any degree, or qualification. However, other sources, reported the diplomat's family said that he had been going through serious psychological troubles [ar].

Meanwhile, a group of Mauritanian diplomats had expressed their dismay at the draft of a law for a private diplomacy system, expected to be implemented soon. They criticized the exclusion, and the marginalisation of Foreign Ministry employees, and the wrong path followed by the ministry. They also accused Foreign Ministry officials of resorting to “corruption and nepotism” when appointing the ministry's personnel.

The self-immolation incident drew the attention of Mauritanian Twitter users, who have been reacting to it strongly.

Majdi Ahmed wrote [ar]:

@mejdmr شياب تويتر الليلة أفطرو علي إشعال ديبلوماسي للنار في نفسه وبعض فضائح الحكومة التي لاتنتهي… الحمد لله الذي هداهم فصامو ورزقهم فأفطرو

@mejdmr: Twitter users broke their fast tonight on the news of a diplomat setting himself on fire, and some of the government's never-ending scandals…Praise to Allah for guiding them to fast, and provided them with food to break their fast.

He added:

‏‏@mejdmr رغم الزيادة المتواصلة في أسعار المحروقات، إلا أن ذالك لم يمنع بعض المواطنين من إضرام النار في أنفسهم !!

‏‏@mejdmr: The ongoing increase in fuel prices, is not preventing some citizens from setting themselves alight

He also hinted at a speech during which the Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said he would be ready to give gasoline to every young person desiring to set himself on fire.

@mejdmr ولد عبد العزيز كان قد قطع وعدا علي نفسه بتوفير المواد المشتعلة اللازمة لأي مواطن يرغب في إشعال نفسه!

@mejdmr: Ould Abd Aziz had promised to provide citizens desiring to set themselves alight with the necessary flammable materials!

The 25 February Movement discussed the self immolation phenomenon in Mauritania:

@m25fev وفاة موريتاني أحرق نفسه في مسلسل الاحتراق الذاتي جراء البؤس أو اليأس أو هما معا رجاءا أحرقوا الظالمين بدل احراق انفسكم

@m25fev: As a result of misery or despair or both, another Mauritanian passed away in a series of self-immolations. Please burn the oppressors instead of burning yourselves

Mohamed Ould Sid'Ahmed requested not to politically abuse the incident:

‏@med_sidahmed اذا كان الرجل اضرم النار في نفسه نتيجة اضطرابات نفسية فالمرجو احترام شعور عائلته بعدم توظيف الحادثة سياسيا. انا لله وانا اليه راجعون.

‏@med_sidahmed: Please respect his family and do not use the incident since he set himself alight as a result of psychological troubles. We belong to God and to Him shall we return.

Activist Sidi Ould Mohamed said he did not believe the diplomat suffered from psychological troubles:

@sidimedlemin لا أثق أن ولد آبيه بالأمس لم يكن في كامل قواه العقلية.. لقد وجدت شابا كلمه قبل قليل من إضرام النار في نفسه

@sidimedlemin: I do not believe reports claiming Ould Abba was in a state of mental incapacity yesterday. I met a young man who talked to him a short while before setting himself on fire