The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned a Tunisian
court’s decision to uphold the conviction and four year prison sentence for Fahem
Boukaddous for "forming a criminal association liable to attack
persons".
Boukaddous was
charged after covering public demonstrations against unemployment and
corruption in the mining region of Gafsa in 2008 for satellite channel
‘Tunisian Dialogue’.
“Fahem’s
conviction was a gross miscarriage of justice, which this court has refused to
correct,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “He has been victimised by a
government that is intolerant of criticism and dissent.”
Boukaddous was
unable to attend the trial as he was admitted to hospital for treatment to a
severe asthma condition. According to Ridha Raddaoui, his lawyer, the court
refused to allow the defence team to present their case.
Boukaddous was
first convicted on 13th January 2010 after several months in hiding
while his co-accused were first sentenced to four years and then later released
on a presidential pardon.
The IFJ
condemned the ruling and accused the Tunisian authorities of waging a campaign
of vilification and intimidation targeting independent journalists, including
such means as arbitrary arrests and sham trials.
Representatives
from the Syndicat National des Journalistes Tunisiens (SNJT) attended the
previous trials on behalf of the IFJ and the Federation of Africa Journalists
where they strongly condemned the verdict.
The IFJ is
particularly concerned that Boukaddous would not survive a prison term given
the critical state of his health and his urgent need for proper medical care.
For more information contact the IFJ at
+32 2 235 2207
The IFJ represents over
600,000 journalists in 125 countries worldwide