{"id":18200,"date":"2008-12-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-12-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tunisnews.net\/6-decembre-2008\/"},"modified":"2008-12-06T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2008-12-06T00:00:00","slug":"6-decembre-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tunisnews.net\/ar\/6-decembre-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"6 d\u00e9cembre 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><html><head><meta content=\"text\/html\" description=\"Le Procureur de la R\u00e9publique a d\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 vendredi 5 d\u00e9cembre 2008 le docteur \n\tSadok Chourou, ex pr\u00e9sident du mouvement En Nahdha, devant le tribunal de \n\tPremi\u00e8re Instance de Tunis, pour &quot;maintien d'une association non autoris\u00e9e&quot;. \n\tL'examen de l'affaire a \u00e9t\u00e9 fix\u00e9 au samedi 6 d\u00e9cembre. De nombreux avocats \n\tse sont pr\u00e9sent\u00e9s chez le Procureur de la R\u00e9publique de Tunis, dans \n\tl'attente de la pr\u00e9sentation du dossier au Parquet et s'attendant \u00e0 la \n\tremise en libert\u00e9 de Sadok Chourou d\u00e8s la pr\u00e9sentation du dossier.\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\/><\/head><body><body><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\" dir=\"ltr\"><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tunisnews.net\/\"><span>Home<\/span><span lang=\"FR-CH\"> &#8211; Accueil<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/font><\/p>\n<div align=\"left\"><font face=\"Arial\"><strong><\/p>\n<p><font size=\"2\"><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><font><span lang=\"FR\"><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\" dir=\"ltr\"><font size=\"2\"><span lang=\"SV\">TUNISNEWS<\/span> <\/font><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\" dir=\"ltr\"><font><\/p>\n<div><font size=\"2\">8\u00a0\u00e8me ann\u00e9e, <span lang=\"FR\">N\u00b0\u00a03119 du 06.12.2008<\/span><\/font><\/div>\n<p><\/font><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\" dir=\"ltr\"><span><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><font>\u00a0archives<\/font> : <\/font><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">www.tunisnews.net<\/font><\/a><\/span><font size=\"2\"><font>\u00a0<\/font>\u00a0<\/font><\/div>\n<div><font><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><\/font><\/div>\n<div><span lang=\"FR\"><\/p>\n<div align=\"justify\">\n<div align=\"justify\"><font><\/p>\n<div align=\"left\">\n<p><font><\/p>\n<div align=\"left\"><font face=\"Arial\">Libert\u00e9 et Equit\u00e9: Le Procureur de la R\u00e9publique d\u00e9f\u00e8re Sadok Chourou devant le tribunal pour \u00ab\u00a0maintien d&rsquo;une association non autoris\u00e9e\u00a0\u00bb<\/font><\/div>\n<div align=\"left\">AFP: Tunisie: l&rsquo;ex-pr\u00e9sident du parti islamiste Ennahdha renvoy\u00e9 en prison <\/div>\n<div align=\"left\"><font>Tunisia Watch: Tunisie : Un Nouveau Proc\u00e8s d\u2019ENNHDHA pour Sadok Chourou<\/font> <\/div>\n<div align=\"left\">Dr Moncef Marzouki: Intellectuals\u2019 responsibility in the collapse of the democratic process in Tunisia<\/div>\n<div align=\"left\"><font>Press Network: The Tragic Decline of Tunisian Media &#8211; interview with Kamel Labidi<\/font><\/div>\n<div align=\"left\">Hasni4RT: Lettre \u00e0 monsieur le chef de la censure<\/div>\n<div align=\"left\"><font>Groupe Universitaire de la r\u00e9gion Rh\u00f4ne Alpes France : A propos de L\u2019ing\u00e9rence \u00e9trang\u00e8re dans les affaires nationales<\/font> \u00a0<\/div>\n<p><\/font><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span lang=\"FR-CH\"><\/p>\n<div align=\"left\">\n<hr\/>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><font><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><b><span lang=\"FR\">Liste actualis\u00e9e des signataires de l&rsquo;initiative du Droit de Retour : <\/span><span lang=\"FR\"><font><a href=\"http:\/\/www.manfiyoun.net\/fr\/listfr.htmlCelles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.manfiyoun.net\/fr\/listfr.html<\/a><\/font><\/span><\/b><span lang=\"FR\"> Celles et Ceux qui veulent signer cet appel sont invit\u00e9s \u00e0 envoyer leur: Nom, Pays de r\u00e9sidence et Ann\u00e9e de sortie de la Tunisie sur le m\u00e9l de l&rsquo;initiative : <a href=\"mailto:manfiyoun@gmail.com\"><font>manfiyoun@gmail.com<\/font><\/a><\/span><font> <\/font><\/div>\n<p><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/font><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Libert\u00e9 pour tous les prisonniers politiques <strong><font>Libert\u00e9 et Equit\u00e9<\/font><\/strong> Organisation de Droits de l&rsquo;Homme ind\u00e9pendante 33 rue Mokhtar Atya, 1001 Tunis \u00a0tel : 71 340 860 \u00a0 Tunis, le 5 d\u00e9cembre 2008 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <strong><\/p>\n<p><font size=\"3\">Le Procureur de la R\u00e9publique d\u00e9f\u00e8re Sadok Chourou devant le tribunal pour \u00ab\u00a0maintien d&rsquo;une association non autoris\u00e9e\u00a0\u00bb<\/font><\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/font><\/div>\n<div> \u00a0 Le Procureur de la R\u00e9publique a d\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 vendredi 5 d\u00e9cembre 2008 le docteur Sadok Chourou, ex pr\u00e9sident du mouvement En Nahdha, devant le tribunal de Premi\u00e8re Instance de Tunis, pour \u00ab\u00a0maintien d&rsquo;une association non autoris\u00e9e\u00a0\u00bb. L&rsquo;examen de l&rsquo;affaire a \u00e9t\u00e9 fix\u00e9 au samedi 6 d\u00e9cembre. De nombreux avocats se sont pr\u00e9sent\u00e9s chez le Procureur de la R\u00e9publique de Tunis, dans l&rsquo;attente de la pr\u00e9sentation du dossier au Parquet et s&rsquo;attendant \u00e0 la remise en libert\u00e9 de Sadok Chourou d\u00e8s la pr\u00e9sentation du dossier. Il fallait pr\u00e9senter le dossier au Procureur de la R\u00e9publique de Ben Arous puisque le docteur Sadok Chourou r\u00e9side \u00e0 Mornag, qui rel\u00e8ve de la juridiction de Ben Arous, et qu&rsquo;il a \u00e9t\u00e9 arr\u00eat\u00e9 par le poste de police de Mornag et d\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 au district de police de Ben Arous. [&#8230;] Pour le bureau ex\u00e9cutif de l&rsquo;Organisation Le pr\u00e9sident <strong><font>Ma\u00eetre Mohammed Nouri<\/font><\/strong> <font>(traduction d&rsquo;extraits ni revue ni corrig\u00e9e par les auteurs de la version en arabe, LT)<\/font> \u00a0<\/div>\n<div>\n<hr\/>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div align=\"center\"><strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: red;\"><font size=\"3\">Tunisie: l&rsquo;ex-pr\u00e9sident du parti islamiste Ennahdha renvoy\u00e9 en prison<\/font><\/h2>\n<p><\/strong> <\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\"> TUNIS &#8211; L&rsquo;ex-pr\u00e9sident du mouvement islamiste tunisien interdit Ennahdha (Renaissance) Sadok Chourou, lib\u00e9r\u00e9 d\u00e9but novembre apr\u00e8s 18 ans de prison, a \u00e9t\u00e9 arr\u00eat\u00e9 de nouveau et inculp\u00e9 de \u00ab\u00a0maintien d&rsquo;une association ill\u00e9gale\u00a0\u00bb, a-t-on appris samedi de sources concordantes. Selon une source dans son entourage, Sadok Chourou, 61 ans, a \u00e9t\u00e9 interpell\u00e9 mercredi apr\u00e8s s&rsquo;\u00eatre vu signifier l&rsquo;interdiction d&rsquo;organiser \u00ab\u00a0une r\u00e9ception\u00a0\u00bb \u00e0 son domicile \u00e0 Mornag (30 km au sud de Tunis) apr\u00e8s sa lib\u00e9ration. M. Chourou a ensuite comparu samedi devant la Chambre correctionnelle du Tribunal de premi\u00e8re instance de Tunis, qui l&rsquo;a inculp\u00e9 de \u00ab\u00a0maintien d&rsquo;une association ill\u00e9gale\u00a0\u00bb, selon une source judiciaire. Il s&rsquo;est vu reprocher des contacts, depuis sa lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle le 5 novembre, avec ses partisans dans le but de faire relancer son mouvement interdit, a-t-on ajout\u00e9 de m\u00eame source. M. Chourou a \u00e9t\u00e9 assist\u00e9 par \u00ab\u00a0des dizaines d&rsquo;avocats constitu\u00e9s\u00a0\u00bb qui ont demand\u00e9 la lib\u00e9ration provisoire de leur client et le renvoi de l&rsquo;affaire, selon sa d\u00e9fense. Mais le tribunal a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 son maintien en d\u00e9tention pr\u00e9ventive et fix\u00e9 une nouvelle audience le 13 d\u00e9cembre, a-t-on pr\u00e9cis\u00e9 de source judicaire. Selon la source dans son entourage, Sadok Chourou aurait envisag\u00e9 une demande de l\u00e9galisation de son mouvement dans un entretien diffus\u00e9 par Al-Hiwar, un cha\u00eene d&rsquo;opposition \u00e9mettant depuis l&rsquo;Italie. M. Chourou avait pris la t\u00eate d&rsquo;Ennahdha apr\u00e8s l&rsquo;exil volontaire de son chef Rached Ghannouchi en 1988, avant d&rsquo;\u00eatre condamn\u00e9 \u00e0 la r\u00e9clusion \u00e0 perp\u00e9tuit\u00e9 en 1991 lors des proc\u00e8s suivant le d\u00e9mant\u00e8lement du mouvement. Pour les autorit\u00e9s, Ennahdha est \u00ab\u00a0une organisation extr\u00e9miste interdite qui pr\u00f4ne l&rsquo;atteinte aux biens et aux personnes pour r\u00e9aliser ses objectifs\u00a0\u00bb. Ce parti avait \u00e9t\u00e9 accus\u00e9 de complot visant \u00e0 renverser le r\u00e9gime. Universitaire ayant enseign\u00e9 \u00e0 l&rsquo;Acad\u00e9mie militaire, Sadok Chourou sera rejug\u00e9 selon l&rsquo;article 30 du code des associations qui punit \u00ab\u00a0la participation, le maintien et la restructuration d&rsquo;organisations non agr\u00e9\u00e9es par les autorit\u00e9s\u00a0\u00bb, a-t-on ajout\u00e9 de source judiciaire. Il a purg\u00e9 dix-huit ans de prison avant d&rsquo;\u00eatre lib\u00e9r\u00e9 le 5 novembre, \u00e0 la veille du 21e anniversaire de l&rsquo;arriv\u00e9e au pouvoir du pr\u00e9sident tunisien Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, le 7 novembre 1987. Les 21 opposants islamistes qui avaient alors b\u00e9n\u00e9fici\u00e9 d&rsquo;une lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle composaient le dernier groupe de d\u00e9tenus parmi les membres et dirigeants d&rsquo;Ennahdha, des centaines d&rsquo;autres ayant \u00e9t\u00e9 graci\u00e9s par vagues depuis 2004. (\u00a9AFP \/ 06 d\u00e9cembre 2008 19h06) <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div> \u00a0<\/div>\n<div>\n<hr\/>\n<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"> <strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: red;\"><font size=\"3\">Tunisie : Un Nouveau Proc\u00e8s d\u2019ENNHDHA pour Sadok Chourou<\/font><\/h2>\n<p><\/strong> <\/div>\n<p>  Arr\u00eat\u00e9 mercredi 3 d\u00e9cembre, Sadok Chourou a \u00e9t\u00e9 pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 aujourd\u2019hui vendredi (5 d\u00e9cembre) au parquet de Tunis qui l\u2019a d\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 en \u00e9tat d\u2019arrestation devant la huiti\u00e8me chambre correctionnelle pour constitution d\u2019organisation non reconnue, rapporte dans un communiqu\u00e9 l\u2019Association internationale de soutien aux prisonniers politique (AISPP).  Sadok Chourou, ancien pr\u00e9sident du mouvement Ennahdha (non reconnue) a fait l\u2019objet d\u2019une lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle en novembre dernier apr\u00e8s plus de 17 ans de prison pour ses activit\u00e9s li\u00e9es \u00e0 son engagement politique.   Le 21 novembre dernier sa maison a fait l\u2019objet d\u2019une perquisition polici\u00e8re accompagn\u00e9e de son interpellation pendant la journ\u00e9e. Sa famille comptait f\u00eater sa lib\u00e9ration le lendemain, une f\u00eate a laquelle la police s\u2019opposait et un quadrillage mis en place a emp\u00each\u00e9 les invit\u00e9s d\u2019arriver.  D\u2019apr\u00e8s le communiqu\u00e9 de l\u2019AISPP son arrestation cette fois fait suite \u00e0 son intervention le 1er d\u00e9cembre 2008 dans l\u2019Emission \u00ab Sans visas \u00bb diffus\u00e9e par la cha\u00eene satellitaire \u00ab Al Hiwar \u00bb. Les anciens prisonniers politiques font l\u2019objet en Tunisie d\u2019un contr\u00f4le policier continu et tr\u00e8s serr\u00e9. Ils sont souvent interpell\u00e9s et menac\u00e9s de prison en cas de contacts \u00e0 caract\u00e8re politique ou associatifs ou de d\u00e9clarations publiques diffus\u00e9es \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger.  Le journal \u00ab Jeune Afrique \u00bb a publi\u00e9 dans son num\u00e9ro du 23\/29 novembre 2008 une enqu\u00eate sur leur situation sous le titre \u00ab Que deviennent les islamistes lib\u00e9r\u00e9s \u00bb. Le passage de l\u2019article relatif \u00e0 ALI Laaraiedh se passe de tout commentaire sur cette \u00ab libert\u00e9 au go\u00fbt amer \u00bb :  \u00ab \u2026 Ali Laaraiedh, 53 ans, ing\u00e9nieur de formation, consid\u00e9r\u00e9 comme porte-parole officieux d&rsquo;Ennahda, en sait quelque chose. Lib\u00e9r\u00e9 en novembre 2004, six mois avant le terme de sa peine, il a pass\u00e9 quatorze ans et demi derri\u00e8re les barreaux, dont douze et demi en isolement total. Cet intellectuel a l&rsquo;allure fluette, presque fragile, au visage barre d&rsquo;une moustache, parle d&rsquo;une voix pos\u00e9e. II ressemble au plus ordinaire des p\u00e8res de famille. Mais son regard toujours aux aguets trahit l&rsquo;homme traqu\u00e9. II n&rsquo;a en principe pas\u00a0 plus le droit de parler aux journalistes que celui d&rsquo;assister a des r\u00e9unions politiques. Sa libert\u00e9 a un go\u00fbt amer, celui du contr\u00f4le administratif, d&rsquo;une dur\u00e9e th\u00e9orique de cinq ans, auquel ses juges l&rsquo;ont astreint.  \u00ab Le contr\u00f4le, c&rsquo;est d&rsquo;abord pointer \u00e0 heure fixe et signer un registre, tous les jours la premi\u00e8re ann\u00e9e, au poste de police de son lieu de r\u00e9sidence. La deuxi\u00e8me ann\u00e9e, \u00e7a s&rsquo;all\u00e8ge, l&rsquo;astreinte passe a une fois par semaine. Cela dit, on peut \u00eatre convoqu\u00e9 a n&rsquo;importe quel moment. Je n&rsquo;ai \u00e9t\u00e9 autorise qu&rsquo;une seule fois a sortir du Grand Tunis, pour les obs\u00e8ques de ma m\u00e8re, a M\u00e9denine. Mais le plus p\u00e9nible a vivre, c&rsquo;est le harc\u00e8lement des visiteurs. Tous ceux qui viennent me voir sont interrog\u00e9s, fich\u00e9s, y compris lorsque ce sont des membres de la famille. C&rsquo;est dissuasif &#8230; Et quand je sors, c&rsquo;est pareil. J&rsquo;ai fini par renoncer \u00e0 assister aux r\u00e9unions familiales ou aux mariages tellement c&rsquo;\u00e9tait \u00e9prouvant. Je suis libre. Mais je suis un paria \u00bb.  <strong><font>(Source : \u00ab Tunisia Watch \u00bb, le blog de Mokhtar Yahyaoui, le 5 d\u00e9cembre 2008)<\/font><\/strong> \u00a0<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div align=\"center\"><strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: red;\"><font size=\"3\">Lettre \u00e0 monsieur le chef de la censure.<\/font><\/h2>\n<p><\/strong><\/div>\n<p>  Cher chef, Un an. Un an d\u00e9j\u00e0 que tu as r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 me couper la chique.   Remarque, apr\u00e8s quelques ann\u00e9es \u00e0 tordre le nez et me foutre de ton chef en chef, il \u00e9tait de bonne guerre de payer quelque marlou pour venir \u00e0 bout de l\u2019impertinence du R\u00e9veil Tunisien. Je me souviens avec \u00e9motion des dizaines d\u2019images que j\u2019ai bidouill\u00e9es pour cr\u00e9er des caricatures de ton chef en chef.  J\u2019ai presque une larme si je me souviens des centaines d\u2019articles \u00e9crits par des citoyens qui vomissaient\u00a0 \u00e0 force de d\u00e9sespoir leur amour de la Tunisie et leur d\u00e9go\u00fbt de ce que vous en avez fait, \u00ab vous, vos bergers et vos chiens \u00bb.   Tu te rends compte que pour la premi\u00e8re fois des inconnus prenaient la parole et te disait : Fock (Copyleft yezzy) ! Mes libert\u00e9s, je les exerce et je ne te demande pas permission. Pis ! Des s\u0153urs, des m\u00e8res de famille versaient des larmes avec des flots d\u2019encre sur le sort que tu as r\u00e9serv\u00e9 aux leurs pour leurs id\u00e9es. Et on sait, toi et moi, que rien n\u2019arr\u00eate l\u2019amour des siens. Pas m\u00eame la peur. Pas m\u00eame les menaces. Pas m\u00eame les larves que tu distilles sur le net. Ah, tu ne savais pas ?   Et puis les interviews vol\u00e9es de ceux qui n\u2019ont pas la parole, et puis les images de ce et de ceux que tu ne veux pas voir. Et les mots ! Comment elles sont pris plein la gueule les \u00ab visions avant gardiste \u00bb, les \u00ab approches prospectives \u00bb, les \u00ab en mati\u00e8re de promotion \u00bb, les \u00ab le pr\u00e9sident salue \u00bb, \u2026\u00a0 Chef, tu te souviens ? Tu te souviens comment les discours truqu\u00e9s ont \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9nonc\u00e9s ? Comment les chiffres pipot\u00e9s ont \u00e9t\u00e9 mis \u00e0 mal ? Comment les \u00abpreuves \u00bb des proc\u00e8s truqu\u00e9s ont \u00e9t\u00e9 balanc\u00e9s sur le net ?  Oui tu te souviens. Tu t\u2019en souviens parce que tout a \u00e9t\u00e9 flingu\u00e9, ray\u00e9, effac\u00e9, balanc\u00e9 \u00e0 la poubelle par tes soins, enfin quand je dis toi &#8230; Je suis persuad\u00e9 que tu as une \u00e9motion en me lisant et je suis encore plus sur que tu seras heureux d\u2019apprendre que ces archives, que toutes les archives de Reveiltunisien ont \u00e9t\u00e9 sauv\u00e9es.\u00a0 Wep, je les ai retrouv\u00e9es. Elles \u00e9taient planqu\u00e9es sous ton lit. Tu ne m\u2019en voudras pas, j\u2019ai repris et remis en ligne le travail de toutes ces personnes pour d\u00e9noncer le pillage de la Tunisie, de ses valeurs, de ses droits, de ses devoirs. Je les ai reprises et \u2026 Elles sont toutes l\u00e0 : www.reveiltunisien.org  Tout est en place.   That\u2019s all folk ! L\u2019aventure continue !  <strong><font>Hasni4RT<\/font><\/strong> <\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div align=\"center\"> <strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: red;\"><font>HOLD-UP BIS : BELHASSEN TRABELSI RAFLE \u00ab NOUVELAIR \u00bb DE AZIZ MILED<\/font><\/h2>\n<p><\/strong><\/div>\n<p>  J\u2019ai lu hier (5 d\u00e9cembre 2008) dans le l&rsquo;\u00e9dition papier du journal Assabah, une annonce l\u00e9gale d&rsquo;assembl\u00e9e g\u00e9n\u00e9rale de Nouvelair!  Le hold-up bis est fait; apr\u00e8s la banque BT, c&rsquo;est autour d&rsquo;Aziz Miled de payer cher !  Belhassen Trabelsi devient ainsi PDG et membre de Conseil d&rsquo;Administration de Nouvelair !  <strong><font>(Source : lettre d\u2019un lecteur de Tunis)<\/font><\/strong>  \u00a0<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div align=\"center\"> <strong><\/p>\n<p><font><font>Les Universitaires tunisiens de la R\u00e9gion Rh\u00f4ne Alpes-France- (*) s\u2019indignent :<\/font> <font size=\"3\">A propos de L\u2019ing\u00e9rence \u00e9trang\u00e8re dans les affaires nationales<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<p><\/strong> \u00a0<\/div>\n<p> Que faut-il conclure du voyage d\u2019une d\u00e9l\u00e9gation fran\u00e7aise en Tunisie, le 26 et le 27 novembre ?. Une nouvelle justice au dessus de celle d\u2019un Etat souverain et ind\u00e9pendant depuis 1956 ?. Un nouvel ordre mondial impos\u00e9 par quelques individus en l\u2019occurrence quelques responsables des partis communiste et des verts et d\u2019autres organisations ? Ou bien s\u2019agit-il d\u2019une simple man\u0153uvre qui cache l\u2019ing\u00e9rence dans les affaires de notre ch\u00e8re Tunisie ? Pire encore, cette reg\u00e8rence signe en r\u00e9alit\u00e9 le m\u00e9pris v\u00e9cus par des millions de tunisiens y compris par les 800 000 qui vivent en France et en Europe.  Tous les binationaux qui portent dans leurs c\u0153urs l\u2019amour des deux pays amis depuis des g\u00e9n\u00e9rations, sont fiers de porter cette double culture, cette valeur ajout\u00e9e \u00e9conomique, sociale et politique qui tisse une grande amiti\u00e9 et une saine solidarit\u00e9 entre les peuples.  Cette ing\u00e9rence m\u00e9diatis\u00e9e par les moyens les plus sophistiqu\u00e9s (Presse, Internet etc \u2026) est une mise en sc\u00e8ne th\u00e9\u00e2trale plus choquante et r\u00e9voltante que l\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eat escompt\u00e9 par les mandataires.  L\u2019acte en soi est r\u00e9voltant, et inacceptable. Il vise \u00e0 laisser croire que notre libert\u00e9 d\u2019action peut \u00eatre r\u00e9duite, que notre libert\u00e9 tout court est vis\u00e9e par une nouvelle id\u00e9ologie politique dont le but est de diviser la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 tunisienne \u00e0 l\u2019int\u00e9rieur comme \u00e0 l\u2019ext\u00e9rieur.  Un retour en arri\u00e8re qui rappelle la colonisation et la main mise. C\u2019est un signe qui ne trompe pas. Sommes nous dupes pour croire que la libert\u00e9 d\u2019un peuple est dict\u00e9e de l\u2019ext\u00e9rieur, alors que ceux de l\u2019ext\u00e9rieur vivent des in\u00e9galit\u00e9s sociales, souvent dans la marginalit\u00e9, et tra\u00eenent\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00e0 recouvrer le simple droit \u00e0 la d\u00e9mocratie sociale, \u00e9conomique et politique et \u00e0 la v\u00e9ritable dignit\u00e9.  O\u00f9 sont-ils ces donneurs de le\u00e7ons dans un pays de droit ?, Qu\u2019ils portent secours \u00e0 ceux qui tendent la main depuis des g\u00e9n\u00e9rations, aux banlieusards, aux \u00e9meutiers qui aspirent \u00e0 une vie meilleure au m\u00eame titre que tous les citoyens. Faut \u2013il comprendre que les ordres diff\u00e9rent selon les int\u00e9r\u00eats politiques et personnels?.  Toute la communaut\u00e9 tunisienne qui a suivi de pr\u00e8s ces \u00e9lucubrations , \u00e9tapes par \u00e9tapes, de Paris \u00e0 Tunis, puis \u00e0 Gafsa d\u00e9nonce avec force et d\u00e9go\u00fbt cette ing\u00e9rence inappropri\u00e9e et d\u00e9plac\u00e9e et rejette toute soumission aux ordres venant de certaines personnes du Parti communiste ou des Verts, avec l\u2019aide de quelques personnes locales sous couvert des droits de l\u2019Homme et oeuvrant \u00e0 des fins politiques personnelles et \u00e9go\u00efstes.  La communaut\u00e9 tunisienne est \u00e9tonn\u00e9e de la participation active et acharn\u00e9e de la Ligue des Droits de l\u2019Homme en Tunisie et s\u2019\u00e9tonne grandement que cette Ligue qui n\u2019a jamais pens\u00e9 \u00e0 d\u00e9fendre les droits des tunisiens \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger, toutes g\u00e9n\u00e9rations confondues, qui ne s\u2019est jamais souci\u00e9e de notre existence d\u2019immigres, de notre appartenance au m\u00eame pays qu\u2019eux et de notre lien de sang et du sol, ouvre aujourd\u2019hui la voie \u00e0 des fauteurs de troubles rancuniers et anarchistes connus depuis plusieurs d\u00e9cennies.  Les responsables de cette Ligue au service de certaines ONG, qui ont profit\u00e9, \u00e0 la source, de toutes les aides et des subventions int\u00e9rieures comme ext\u00e9rieures du conseil de l\u2019Europe et d\u2019autres organisations mondiales sont plus riches que la plupart des immigres qui vivent avec les minima\u00a0 sociaux, le revenu minimum d\u2019insertion, des allocations familiales et des aides sociales en dessous du seuil de pauvret\u00e9, qui tirent le diable par la queue, et qui vivent aussi l\u2019\u00e9chec de leurs enfants.  O\u00f9 est notre Ligue des droits de l\u2019Homme ? a-t-elle connaissance du nombre des ch\u00f4meurs tunisiens en Europe ? du nombre des intellectuels et des cadres, des \u00e9tudiants, des femmes en d\u00e9tresse et de toute une cat\u00e9gorie de gens qui vivent l\u2019\u00e9chec quotidien, et qui sont la proie de la manipulation politique et religieuse ?.     La richesse de certains membres de la Ligue en immobilier et d\u2019autres patrimoines en Tunisie, en France et en Suisse d\u00e9passe de loin l\u2019imagination d\u2019un immigr\u00e9 locataire depuis 30 \u00e0 40 ans de vie en France et chass\u00e9 par les huissiers de justice en cas d\u2019impay\u00e9s. Certains tunisiens sont devenus des SDF et meurent, comme d\u2019autres europ\u00e9ens, de froid en hiver sous les ponts. Heureusement, certaines associations fran\u00e7aises\u00a0 viennent \u00e0 leur secours pour les tirer du p\u00e9trin. Mais nous n\u2019avons jamais rencontrer un responsable de notre Ligue des Droits de l\u2019Homme en Tunisie, quelque part en France\u00a0 pour les d\u00e9fendre et les soutenir ou pour leur tendre la main g\u00e9n\u00e9reuse comme il le fait aujourd\u2019hui pour la tendre \u00e0 ses propres adversaires, h\u00e9ros d\u2019un instant.  Pour aider nos concitoyens, nous n\u2019avons vu que notre ambassade, nos consuls et consuls g\u00e9n\u00e9raux, notre office des travailleurs \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger, nos associations et nos structures du RCD, malgr\u00e9 leurs moyens souvent tr\u00e8s limit\u00e9s.  Les tunisiens et la Tunisie sont un tout indissociable, ils ont besoin d\u2019une strat\u00e9gie capable de permettre \u00e0 chacun de sortir de l\u2019ombre de la pauvret\u00e9 et de la mis\u00e8re surtout par ces temps de crise et de conjonctures internationales de mauvaises augures. Le strat\u00e8ge, nous le connaissons puisqu\u2019il a fait ses preuves, et il n\u2019est autre que le Pr\u00e9sident Ben Ali le Pr\u00e9sident de tous les tunisiens vivant aussi bien en Tunisie qu\u2019\u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger.  Un d\u00e9sordre mondial s\u2019installe et nous ne pensons pas que les responsables de la Ligue soient en mesure de contribuer et ajouter la moindre dose de bien \u00eatre pour les tunisiens \u00e0 l\u2019int\u00e9rieur comme \u00e0 l\u2019ext\u00e9rieur.  Nous ne pensons pas non plus, nous sommes m\u00eame certains, que ces \u00ab responsables \u00bb soient en mesure d\u2019apporter la confiance et la s\u00e9r\u00e9nit\u00e9 au niveau des investisseurs et cr\u00e9anciers mondiaux qui financent les projets cr\u00e9ateurs d\u2019emplois et qui aident les citoyens \u00e0 progresser dans tous les domaines. Nous ne pensons pas que les \u00ab responsables de cette Ligue \u00bb soient en mesure de concevoir une autre d\u00e9mocratie voulue par les tunisiens et les tunisiennes \u00e0 l\u2019int\u00e9rieur comme \u00e0 l\u2019ext\u00e9rieur. Ils ne sont m\u00eame pas capables de respecter la loi, y compris l\u2019organisation d\u2019un congr\u00e9 d\u00e9mocratique conciliateur et serein.  Cette ligue a choisi de se mettre dans le victimisme pour semer le doute, pour attirer l\u2019attention des donateurs, des associations et organisations \u00e9trang\u00e8res. Elle est le d\u00e9sordre parfait et son \u00e9quipe d\u00e9sordonn\u00e9e, est mue par des profits personnels, qui ne tiennent gu\u00e8re compte de l\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eat de la collectivit\u00e9.   Les Tunisiens, de part le monde ont atteint un degr\u00e9 de maturit\u00e9, de savoir et de savoir faire \u00e0 l\u2019instar des \u00e9lites des pays d\u00e9velopp\u00e9s. Pour cela ils refusent les pratiques \u00e9go\u00efstes\u00a0 et anarchistes.  Notre avanc\u00e9e scientifique, \u00e9conomique, \u00e9thique et sociale, m\u00eame si elle n\u2019est pas encore parfaite (aucun pays ne peut se pr\u00e9tendre mod\u00e8le en la mati\u00e8re), en d\u00e9pit du peu de moyens, nous a permis d\u2019\u00e9merger sur le plan politique, et de sortir de la pauvret\u00e9 et du quart monde voire du tiers monde.  Ouvrez vos yeux messieurs de la Ligue et analysez ce qui se passe dans\u00a0 plusieurs r\u00e9gions du monde o\u00f9 des peuples entiers se cherchent , affam\u00e9s, malades, infect\u00e9s, dans tous les sens du terme. Voulez-vous nous rejeter dans ce foss\u00e9 ? dans cette fracture ? dans ce d\u00e9chirement ?.  Tous les tunisiens sont solidaires, du Nord au Sud. Alors agissez intelligemment \u00e0 fin de consolider cette solidarit\u00e9. Ne cherchez pas \u00e0 les tromper.   Sachez que votre libert\u00e9, s\u2019arr\u00eate l\u00e0 o\u00f9 commence celle des autres. Sachez que les probl\u00e8mes tunisiens ne peuvent \u00eatre r\u00e9solus que par les tunisiens eux m\u00eames.  La fraternit\u00e9 (qui lie et qui doit lier les tunisiens vivants \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger) est saine et n\u2019exclut personne. Elle est notre diplomatie. Elle est notre coh\u00e9sion sociale. Elle est notre intelligence, notre libert\u00e9 et notre fiert\u00e9. Nous n\u2019avons pas besoin des \u00e9trangers pour \u00eatre leur esclaves de demain. Nous ne souhaitons pas que vous soyez \u00e0 leur merci.  Nous vous demandons enfin d\u2019\u00eatre objectifs, car les tunisiens surveillent de pr\u00e8s vos actions sans pour autant \u00eatre vos ennemis . Donnez une lecture positive des droits de l\u2019homme qui permet \u00e0 tout un chacun de s\u2019exprimer librement dans le cadre du respect des autres et de la Patrie. Vous avez commis beaucoup de faux pas et vous avez encore une fois tir\u00e9 \u00e9norm\u00e9ment de profits en ignorant les tunisiens \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger et en Tunisie. Vous n\u2019avez pas h\u00e9sit\u00e9 \u00e0 chasser vos propres amis au sein de la Ligue pour vos int\u00e9r\u00eat personnels.  L\u2019intervention des \u00e9trangers en Tunisie est synonyme de trahison et de faiblesse. Nous n\u2019avons jamais vu des responsables politiques \u00e9trangers venir donner des ordres en France ou dans n\u2019importe quel pays europ\u00e9en. Pourtant le dernier rapport international sur les droits de l\u2019Homme n\u2019\u00e9pargne pas ces pays occidentaux.  Nous ne pensons pas que la France se laisserait faire. La Tunisie et les tunisiens dans leur int\u00e9gralit\u00e9, soucieux de leur libert\u00e9, que vous \u00eates entrain de brader au moindre co\u00fbt, refusent aussi la les ing\u00e9rences \u00e9trang\u00e8res.  Notre patriotisme n\u2019a pas de prix, de m\u00eame que notre reconnaissance pour la France, notre terre d\u2019accueil. Notre amour pour la Tunisie d\u2019aujourd\u2019hui dont vous semblez ignorer les bienfaits qui vous reviennent de droit depuis des ann\u00e9es est aussi notre raison d\u2019\u00eatre.  Faut-il rappeler, \u00e0 \u00ab nos fr\u00e8res de la Ligue \u00bb, que nous les binationaux votons socialistes communistes ou pour la droite, depuis plus de vingt ans et que nous n\u2019avons jamais eu droit \u00e0 un poste politique, le moindre, en terme de reconnaissance et que seul le Pr\u00e9sident SARKOZY est venu changer la donne, en apportant avec lui la discrimination positive, alors que nous vivions dans la discrimination tout court. Seul ce Pr\u00e9sident est venu ouvrir les voies de l\u2019int\u00e9gration et de la reconnaissance de notre comp\u00e9tence pour fonder et construire les bases de notre avenir et celui de nos enfants en France.   Au niveau de la Ligue, vous \u00eates encore loin, trop loin, des aspirations d\u2019un peuple intelligent et dont l\u2019histoire a marqu\u00e9 la civilisation humaine depuis 3000 ans. Essayez de faire en France ce que Marie-Georges Buffet et sa troupe ont fait \u00e0 l\u2019occasion de leur visite en Tunisie. Vous serez chass\u00e9, s\u00e9ance tenante, en passant par la d\u00e9tention provisoire. On ne badine pas avec la souverainet\u00e9 et avec la dignit\u00e9.   <strong><font>Groupe Universitaire de la r\u00e9gion Rh\u00f4ne Alpes France M.S<\/font><\/strong> <em><font>*) Nous sommes\u00a0 un groupe\u00a0\u00a0 d&rsquo;universitaires\u00a0 franco-tunisiens\u00a0 voire franco maghr\u00e9bins , sp\u00e9cialistes\u00a0 dans de nombreux domaines\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 de comp\u00e9tence\u00a0 et nous constituons\u00a0 de part notre amiti\u00e9 une sorte de comit\u00e9 de r\u00e9flexion\u00a0 et nous appartenons\u00a0 \u00e0 de nombreuses associations\u00a0 actives\u00a0 sur la r\u00e9gion\u00a0 Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 , \u00e0\u00a0 paris\u00a0 et\u00a0 ailleurs . Nos diff\u00e9rentes\u00a0 r\u00e9unions\u00a0\u00a0 et contacts nous permettent\u00a0 de discuter\u00a0 de notre avenir\u00a0 dans nos trois pays diff\u00e9rents\u00a0 et les diff\u00e9rentes relations\u00a0 entre le Nord et le Sud, nous avons m\u00eame particip\u00e9\u00a0\u00a0 aux diff\u00e9rents projets de l&rsquo; UPM. L\u2019article (publi\u00e9 ci-dessus)\u00a0 a \u00e9t\u00e9 con\u00e7u \u00e0 la suite de notre \u00e9tonnement\u00a0 de la visite inappropri\u00e9e\u00a0 de certaines personnes\u00a0\u00a0 du PCF et des verts. Nous aimons autant que vous la Tunisie\u00a0 et tous les concepts d\u00e9mocratiques\u00a0 qui s&rsquo;y aff\u00e8rent , nous nous attachons\u00a0 \u00e0 notre identit\u00e9\u00a0 et \u00e0 nos origines ce qui constitue en soi notre fiert\u00e9\u00a0 , nous n&rsquo;avons pas besoin\u00a0 des autres pour r\u00e9soudre nos probl\u00e8mes internes\u00a0 et nous sommes\u00a0 capables , \u00e0 tous les niveaux\u00a0 de nous entendre\u00a0 et d&rsquo;apporter \u00e0 la Tunisie et \u00e0 tous les tunisiens\u00a0 le meilleur\u00a0 de nous m\u00eame\u00a0 et de notre savoir faire\u00a0 pour que chacun\u00a0 puisse s&rsquo;\u00e9panouir et pr\u00e9parer l&rsquo;avenir de ses enfants . il est possible que notre conception\u00a0 des choses\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 et notre vision\u00a0 diff\u00e9rent\u00a0 de la votre ou de celle\u00a0 d&rsquo;un autre groupe\u00a0 , ceci est normal\u00a0 \u00e0 partir du moment\u00a0 o\u00f9 j&rsquo;acc\u00e8de\u00a0 \u00e0 votre id\u00e9e\u00a0 , que j&rsquo;accepte\u00a0 pour des raisons d\u00e9mocratiques , pour des raisons\u00a0 d&rsquo;int\u00e9r\u00eat commun\u00a0 qui\u00a0 pr\u00e9domine l&rsquo;int\u00e9r\u00eat personnel\u00a0 ,\u00a0 parfois la concession\u00a0\u00a0 est une vertu\u00a0 encore plus le partage et la compr\u00e9hension des autres\u00a0 etc. &#8230;.. comme nous voyons\u00a0 que vous publiez diff\u00e9rents articles\u00a0 de toute sorte , nous nous sommes permis\u00a0 de vous envoyer le notre , maintenant\u00a0 si vous ne voulez pas\u00a0 le publier , vous \u00eates libre\u00a0 et personne n&rsquo;en tiendra rigueur . Une petite remarque,\u00a0 la majorit\u00e9 de ce groupe\u00a0 vit en France depuis plus de vingt ans.<\/font><\/em> \u00a0<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div align=\"center\"> <strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: red;\"><font size=\"3\">The Tragic Decline of Tunisian Media<\/font><\/h2>\n<p><\/strong> \u00a0<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">\u00ab\u00a0In the past, Tunisia made huge efforts to invest in journalism education. Unfortunately, the people who benefited from those efforts have been gradually prevented from serving their country according to the basic rules of journalism and ethics. Scores of skilled and honest journalists have been silenced and forced to leave their job or the country,\u00a0\u00bb says Kamel Labidi, one of the many Tunisian journalist who chose exile to preserve his freedom and to be able to denounce the abuses of the Tunisian regime. In an interview with the Arab Press Network, Labidi talks about the pressure he faced in Tunisia as well as the situation of journalists in the country today.   <font><strong>By Patricia Khoder<\/strong><\/font> <strong>APN: You worked as a journalist in Tunisia from 1975 until 1994, when you were fired from your work. You then became director of the Tunisian section of Amnesty International until 1996, when the authorities forbid you from pursuing your work. Last year you waited more than five months to get a new passport from the Tunisian Embassy in Washington. Why are the Tunisian authorities treating you like this?<\/strong> <strong>Labidi:<\/strong> I was fired from the official Tunisian news agency, TAP, in 1994 and then denied my accreditation as correspondent for the French daily La Croix and United Press International (UPI). Despite different forms of harassment, I did not stop writing and kept trying, together with friends committed to press freedom, to resist unrelenting attempts to turn Tunisian journalists into sycophants and the now-defunct Association of Tunisian Journalists, which used to be one of the most independent journalists&rsquo; groups in the Arab world, into a tool of propaganda.  I left the country in 1996 after working for less than two years as director of Amnesty International-Tunisia and facing violations of my basic rights, particularly the confiscation of my passport. Plainclothes police came to my apartment in January 1996 in the middle of the night without a warrant and took it. The obvious purpose was to prevent me from traveling to Sana&rsquo;a, Yemen, to attend a UNESCO conference on promoting pluralism in the Arab media.  In 2007, I waited more than six months to get a new passport. So whether you are living in Tunisia or overseas, there is a price to pay for being an independent Tunisian journalist or a dissident.   I cannot speak for the Tunisian authorities. You can ask them why they continue to attack human rights defenders and independent journalists and why they did not learn a lesson from the decision made by the World Association of Newspapers in 1997 to expel the state-run Tunisian Association of Newspaper Directors for its failure to denounce blatant abuses of press freedom. They would certainly and arrogantly deny these abuses.    <strong>APN: Do you live in exile or can you travel home to Tunisia and feel safe about it?<\/strong> <strong>Labidi:<\/strong> The last time I visited Tunisia to see my relatives was in October. I left Tunisia 12 years ago because I felt for the first time since I became a journalist in 1975 that the country I grew up to love and serve was precipitously turning into a \u00ab\u00a0republic of fear.\u00a0\u00bb I could not bear the idea of living any longer under a regime which offered less room for freedom of expression, assembly and association than the French Protectorate.   My decision was part of a wave that led thousands of Tunisians, including scores of journalists, to leave the country because the regime&rsquo;s tolerance for critical thinking was declining rapidly and fear and self-censorship were gaining ground everywhere in the country. I also reached that decision after coming to the conclusion that I would serve the cause of human rights in Tunisia and the rest of the region better if I moved to Europe or North America.    <strong>APN: In all your writings about Tunisia, you denounce the regime. Don&rsquo;t you get tired?<\/strong> <strong>Labidi:<\/strong> It&rsquo;s my duty as a Tunisian journalist to try to do my job according to professional and ethical rules. I could not turn a blind eye to the declining human rights record and increase of serious abuses of human rights in Tunisia. Earlier generations denounced and resisted colonial occupation and injustice. No country in the world ever made significant progress toward better living standards, justice and equal opportunities for its people without citizens determined to indefatigably oppose oppression and help pave the way for genuine change.   <strong>APN: What kind of pressure is exercised on journalists in Tunisia (threats, confiscation of passports, prison&#8230;)? Is this situation driving journalists into exile?<\/strong> <strong>Labidi:<\/strong> Attacks on critical journalists started in the wake of the independence in 1956. Privately owned and opposition newspapers were often banned, independent-minded journalists intimidated or fired under President Bourguiba. I was among several journalists who were arbitrarily fired from state-owned media in 1978 during a major crackdown on the Tunisian General Union of Labor (UGTT). Most of those fired, including myself, were reinstated nearly three years later thanks to local and international solidarity. But attacks on journalists reached an unparalleled level under Ben Ali.   Soviet-style propaganda dismisses alerts and reports by local human rights groups and conclusions reached by international groups, such as the IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), following fact-finding missions, as \u00ab\u00a0allegations.\u00a0\u00bb Tunisia is one of the few countries today which still squanders huge resources on gross and shameful propaganda.   Threats against journalists often precede political decisions to deny the National Press Card and accreditation or passports for Tunisians journalists contributing to independent foreign media, or even to assault and jail journalists. Such a climate of intimidation and restrictions prompted fear and self-censorship among many and led scores of journalists to reluctantly leave the country over the past two decades. Many of them earned prominence after joining influential regional and international media outlets.  Ironically threats and assaults and jail sentences also target brave women journalists like Sihem Bensedrine and Neziha Rejiba, at a time when the government continues to use the advanced status of women promulgated under Bourguiba in 1956 to promote itself as a \u00ab\u00a0protector of unequalled women&rsquo;s rights\u00a0\u00bb in the region.   Even Western journalists have been threatened and told to leave the country or assaulted after filing critical reports. On the eve of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in November 2005, Christophe Boltansky of the French daily Liberation was assaulted and injured by thugs in one of the most surveiled districts of Tunis.   Tunisia, which used to offer more room for critical journalism thirty years ago than most countries in the region has over the past years been the Arab world&rsquo;s leading jailer of journalists, according to research conducted by CPJ. The release in July of Slim Boukhdhir four months before the end of his one-year term spurred relief among Tunisian journalists and freedom of expression advocates worldwide.   But like the release in 2007 of rights lawyer and blogger Mohamed Abbou, who spent nearly 28 months in prison mainly for denouncing torture and the lack of independence of the judiciary, Boukhdhir&rsquo;s release remains far from being a step toward press freedom. He is still harassed and denied the right to have a passport. In September, he was kidnapped for several hours and threatened by plainclothes police to meet the same fate as Libyan journalist Daif Al Ghazal, who was killed in 2005 in Libya. Boukhdhir&rsquo;s latest ordeal occurred after he wrote an online article in which he urged Ben Ali to take into account US Secretary Condoleezza Rice&rsquo;s call to loosen his grip on Tunisian media prior to 2009 elections.  Other journalists like Hamadi Jebali and Abdallah Zouari of the now-defunct Islamist weekly Al-Fajr have been paying a much higher price than their colleagues. Together, they spent more than 25 years in prison allegedly for belonging to a banned group and plotting to change the political regime. Zouari has been living under house arrest hundreds of kilometers away from his wife and children since his release in 2002. Jebali&rsquo;s right to freedom of movement and to earn a living since his release in 2006 is still denied.  In the past, Tunisia made huge efforts to invest in journalism education. Unfortunately, the people who benefited from those efforts have been gradually prevented from serving their country according to the basic rules of journalism and ethics. Scores of skilled and honest journalists have been silenced and forced to leave their job or the country.  Like thousands of Tunisians forced into exile in the 1990s, I came to the conclusion that the best thing I could do for my country was to serve the cause of press freedom from outside the country; there was nothing I could contribute with while remaining inside a dangerous police state. I arrived at this conclusion because there was no room left to work as a freelance journalist or for an international organization in Tunisia.   <strong>APN: What does the Arab press need to do in order to become a better press?<\/strong> <strong>Labidi:<\/strong> The Arab press needs more freedom and protection for critical journalists and bloggers who have been increasingly under attack in Tunisia and other parts of the region. Many Arab media outlets have been making significant steps toward independent journalism despite drastic local laws allowing the imprisonment of journalists for doing their job. But it would be difficult to have a \u00ab\u00a0better press,\u00a0\u00bb as you put it, under autocratic rulers apparently determined to stay in power for life and to groom their children or cronies to take over from them. Neither can this happen as long as the murderers of journalists, such as Samir Kassir, Gibran Tueni and Daif Al Ghazal assassinated respectively in Lebanon and Libya in 2005, are not brought to justice according to international standards for a fair and public trial. But the struggle for Arab independent journalism will sooner or later bear fruit because the number of independent journalists and bloggers is increasing rapidly even in the most tightly controlled Arab countries.\u00a0 So is the number of friends who care about press freedom all over the world, including the MENA region. \u00a0<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong><font>(Source: Arab Press Network le 3 decembre 2008)  http:\/\/www.arabpressnetwork.org\/articlesv2.php?id=2870 <\/font><\/strong> \u00a0<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">\n<hr\/>\n<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\"> <font>Islamism, democratization and Arab intellectuals conference organized by the Democracy and Islam Programme, Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster <\/font><\/div>\n<p><font><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"> samedi 6 d\u00e9cembre 2008  <\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: red;\"><font size=\"3\"><strong>Intellectuals\u2019 responsibility in the collapse of the democratic process in Tunisia<\/strong><\/font><\/h2>\n<p> \u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n<div><strong><font>Dr Moncef Marzouki<\/font><\/strong><\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\"> Ladies and gentlemen First of all I would like to thank the Westminster University\u2019s Centre for democracy for inviting me to this conference on Arab intellectuals and democracy. Needless to say, there are in Tunisia, just like everywhere else, many historians, writers, and poets, filmmakers, who have never signed a single petition against torture or corruption, while considering themselves in private as democrats. Should we blame the collapse of the democratic process on them ? May be they have not to be blamed because they are not intellectuals at all. This is why we have to clarify the concept itself. Because of our French heritage, the Intellectual emblem in Tunisia and in the Maghreb is Jean Paul Sartre (and prior to him Voltaire and Zola). He was a philosopher and writer deeply involved in political issues using his prestige as a well known scholar to support what he viewed as the causes of the oppressed. There is an other prototype : Fran\u00e7ois Mitterrand who was a great politician but also a writer and a very cultivated person using his culture in his political strategy. The heroes of our presentation, called the Tunisian intellectuals, are a mix of cultivated politicians following the path of Fran\u00e7ois Mitterrand and politicized scholars following the Satre\u2019s example. Now we can raise the question of their responsibility in what we can call the rise and fall of the democratic project in our country. The answer will not be a scientific assessment, my academic field being public health and not political sciences. Rather I will present here the testimony and the point of view of an activist involved in fierce political conflicts, both with enemies and friends. I do not pretend to be objective in this presentation but I will try my best to be as honest as possible. Historians have well described the complex and ancient roots of the Tunisian democratic movement. The demands for freedom of expression, political pluralism, and autonomous civil society\u2019s associations, never stopped since the independence in1956, even within the ruling party. But those demands reached their highest peak in the seventies and eighties. This is why this paper will consider only this period accepted by all as a critical moment in the increasing conflict between an emerging civil society and an authoritarian state. During the late seventies, due to international pressure and the conflict with the mighty \u2018\u2019 Tunisian workers General Union\u2019\u2019, the government had to make some concessions to the civil society by accepting the existence of three new political actors, freed from its control for the first time. 1- ERRAI founded in 1979 was much more than a simple independent tolerated newspaper. It was the rallying point of the democratic intellectuals and the symbol of their struggle. In its head office you could meet the most notorious writers, poet\u2019s journalists, professors of law or medicine, all of them opposed to the one party system and dreaming of a pluralist Tunisia Widely read in the country -and frequently banned- the newspaper did play an important role in disseminating their ideas and ideals of democracy and Human Rights. 2- The Tunisian Human Rights League was founded in 1977, recognized mainly because of the Carter\u2019s administration pressure, but also because it did not seem overly threatening to the regime. In fact the League proved to be more than a Human Rights association. It became very soon the parliament of the civil society and a real democratic front including NGOS, recognized and not recognised political parties, plus prominent individuals. It acquired very quickly an important moral authority and remained for more than a decade the most important human rights associations in the Arab world. The ties between Errai and the league were very strong for a simple reason. The same intellectuals were the leaders of the two institutions. Errai was in fact the voice of the league, expressing its concerns about numerous sensitive issues, such as death penalty or torture, and echoing its repeated demands for new democratic institutions and more political freedoms One must insist here on the growing role and importance of the Islamic trend trying to be present both within the team of Errai and of the central committee of the league, on the basis of a formal and probably sincere acceptance of the principles of democracy and human Rights. 3- Independent political parties began to play a modest and a new role, when the aging Bourguiba accepted the principle of pluralism after more than two decades of ruling based on a one party system. Two new democratic and secular political parties were recognized as well as the old and weak communist party. But the government never accepted to recognize neither an Islamic party nor any leftist or Arab nationalist organisations. * Three decades after this promising progress, the result is catastrophic : a state police, a life president, a corrupt administration, a demoralised and weak opposition, a paralysed civil society, a slowly dying league, a total loss of the few civil liberties conquered during the eighties. The worst in the current situation is the state of the ideas and ideals in the heart and mind of the average Tunisians .Better not to talk about democracy and Human Rights, because they might laugh at you, the very words sounding empty, hypocrite, ridiculous if not disgraceful. For sure the intellectuals do not bear the whole responsibility for the collapse of the eighties dream, and not all of them can be blamed, but three mechanisms can be identified by which the majority of them mismanaged their commitment to their proclaimed ideal. The first is the rallying to the medical coup of Ben Ali in November 1987 by a quick and na\u00efve acceptance of his pledges about the new reforms that were supposed to make Tunisia the first Arab democratic state. Some well known activists, journalists, writers, thus granted their full support to the regime. Let me remind you those two chairs of the league and two former general secretaries, well known physicians and lawyers, accepted to join the new government. When it became obvious in 1991, that Ben Ali was not establishing a new democracy but, rather, a revived dictatorship, none of them resigned nor publicly protested against the new wave of torture, unfair political trials, and restriction of the civil liberties. They did not even protest when the government dissolved the league in June 1992. Because of the so called Islamist threat, they accepted to be part of a regime much more authoritarian than the one they had fought years before. One well known public health professor wrote a book describing the similarities and the differences between the thought of Ben Ali and the philosophy of &#8230;Kant and became member of the government, and headed the ministry of interior. Many of these mercenaries are still in charge of disseminating the regime\u2019s propaganda. The intellectuals supporting this uncomfortable position were arguing that the real threat against democracy was Islamism, that the priority was to get rid of it by all means, and that only then could the democratic process be initiated. This new argument that had now become the basis of the official discourse justifying the slowness of the pledged reforms was seen by these intellectuals as a matter of hope not as the biggest lie of the regime. Some advised to be patient, moderate, and responsible in order to calm the new president fears of loosing control. A former general secretary of the league proposed to invent a new rule for elections so that the ruling party can be sure to have automatically more than 60% of the ballots, the rest being divided between the other parties. None of these great democrats advised to accept a half independent judiciary and to be patient two or three decades before we enjoy a total one, or that the press should be freed slowly and surely, let us say by 10% every year, so that in twenty years time, it would be allowed to talk about everything, even about the growing corruption of Ben Ali\u2019s regime. The most astonishing is that even some Islamist intellectuals, never stopped talking about the necessity to be \u2018\u2019 patient\u2019\u2019, \u2018\u2019moderate \u2018\u2019 \u2018\u2019 open\u2019\u2019, begging all the time a reconciliation systematically rejected by the regime. They proved not only to lack political cleverness but also to lack dignity. The second mechanism is simply betrayal. In 1991, there were two effective political parties in Tunisia : the league and the police, and this Police decided to wreck the last independent association increasingly opposed to the consolidation of a harsh and corrupt dictatorship. In April 1992 the so called parliament passed a new law obliging any association to open doors to every body willing to join. We knew from the beginning that this law was aimed specifically at the league that we would soon have to welcome a flood of people, sent by the police and its cover, the ruling party, to \u201cdemocratically\u201d take control over the league. At that time I was the chair of the league and I succeeded to convince the central committee to reject the law because it was unconstitutional, and to Continue to choose our members according to their real commitment to Human Rights .The government dissolved the league in June 1992, but was obliged to step back because of the international pressure. It then tried a new strategy by organising a coup against the so called radicals in the central committee and found within this structure devoted to the defence of the independence of the league a lot of allies. The congress of February 1994 was organised by a very close cooperation between these allies and the ministry of interior. The outcome was the eviction of the so called radicals and in fact the surrender of the league. Participation in the mock democracy of the police state is the last and most subtle mechanism by which Tunisian democrats have destroyed the credibility and the dignity of their own project. Ben Ali organised his own pluralism, by installing, infiltrating and controlling four or five political parties, all of them playing the role of a mock opposition, presenting mock candidates to mock presidential elections in 1999, 2004 and happy to share 2 or 3% of the ballots and a few seats in a so called parliament. Nearly all of the leaders of these parties were very active in the seventies and eighties in the democratic struggle, but accepted to play the shameful role trying to hide their cowardice and greed behind the smokescreen of the necessity to improve the system from within. In fact they did not change the system, but the system did change them. The worst is the attitude of two other recognised and still independent democratic parties, \u2018\u2019the Progressive democratic party\u2019\u2019 and the \u2018\u2019 forum for democracy and labour\u2019\u2019. None of them was led by people who can be described as greedy or cowards On the contrary. Their members were and remain part of the last freedom fighters. I must insist that if some intellectuals proved to be na\u00efve or cowards and able to betray their own beliefs, a lot of them never gave up and remained in the battlefield despite aggressions, detention, unfair trials, withdrawal of passport, loss of jobs, attacks against their honour by disgusting means like mock pornographic pictures disseminated by the secret police. The problem is their catastrophic strategy. On the one hand they denounce the system, on the other they accept to be part of it, especially by participating to its mock elections. Their excuse is that by participating they will put the pressure on the system, use the elections period to disseminate their ideas in the country, and therefore widen a little the space of civil liberties. After many elections without achieving any of these objectives, they still refuse to accept the evidence that they will never change the situation by being part of a tricky game. Certainly, the Tunisians intellectuals have an important responsibility in the collapse of the democratic project, but in defence of them we must say that they were also the victims of two other factors on which they had no control. First the ability of the police state to introduce confusion in the public mind by its continual discourse about its so called commitment to democracy and Human Rights. The second factor is the US military intervention in Iraq in the name of democracy which completed the distrust, and even the disgust, of the public towards the concepts and what could lie behind them. Needless to say, all these factors, explain the spread of the Islamist discourse and the decline of the democratic one. My conclusion might seem pessimistic , but how can we ignore that o the overwhelming majority of our intellectuals , Secular or Islamist , failed in their first task : understanding and analysing the democratic dictatorship of Ben Ali , its tricks to hijack the concepts, sow confusion, division and corruption within the public and the elite. The relationship to Islam, and not only to Islamism, was not also seriously studied .The democratic discourse remained largely superficial, rooted in \u2018\u2019clich\u00e9 \u2018\u2019 without any conceptual innovation. Our intellectuals failed also their second and most important mission : Giving the example. In Physics or medicine the credibility of ideas are not linked to those who use them, but in politics it is the case. How could the public believe in ideas and ideals so obviously manipulated by those who were supposedly devoting their lives to them ? Our tired heroes will have no role in the future unless they accept that a dictatorship, just like slavery or colonialism, is an institution that needs to be replaced, not improved. Intellectuals will also have to entirely reconceptualize their relationship to an ideology that spreads very quickly within the population they fight for and whose will is supposed to be the cornerstone of the regime they work for. Continuing their policy of so called moderation towards a non amendable system or seeing the Islamist wave with the eyes of Westerners would simply prove suicidal ****<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\"> <a href=\"http:\/\/moncefmarzouki.com\/spip.php?article234\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/moncefmarzouki.com\/spip.php?article234<\/a><\/div>\n<p><\/font><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\" dir=\"ltr\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\" dir=\"ltr\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<h2 style=\"color: red;\"><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><strong><b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tunisnews.net\/\"><font face=\"Arial\"><span><font size=\"2\">Home<\/font><\/span><font size=\"2\"><span lang=\"FR-CH\"> &#8211; Accueil <\/span><span>&#8211; <\/span><\/font><\/font><span dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"AR-SA\"><font size=\"2\">\u0627\u0644\u0631\u0626\u064a\u0633\u064a\u0629<\/font><\/span><\/a><\/b><\/strong><\/font><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><\/body><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home &#8211; 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