TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia’s media regulator has recently shut down a number of media outlets, stirring a wide controversy on the future of the press in the country. HAICA had previously warned Nessma channel several times since 2015, slapping it with warnings and financial penalties. Ziad al-Riba, legal representative and general manager of Nessma channel, told Al-Monitor that since 2014 HAICA has inflicted fines on Nessma channel that amounted to 1.4 billion Tunisia dinars ($492 million). The channel’s broadcasting equipment was seized, but it continued broadcasting. Abdel-Jabbar al-Madouri, political analyst and former editor-in-chief of Sawt al-Shaab newspaper, told Al-Monitor that media freedom faces a threat in Tunisia in light of the repeated attacks on journalists and the media.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 14, 2021 03:48 UTC