President of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) Yassine Jelassi said that the public and private media sector in the country is facing a disastrous situation, denouncing the restrictions and unfair dismissals media professionals have been subjected to. The power in place is partly responsible for the deplorable situation of journalists "as it is turning a blind eye on the clear violations against them," he added. During a press conference held, Friday, by the SNJT, in Tunis, on the "Situation of the Media Sector in Tunisia," Jelassi underlined that the situation of journalists in public media is deteriorating. «Journalists are being mistreated in private television channels «Al Hiwar Ettounsi» and «Attassia». «Some of them were unfairly dismissed without benefiting from their rights,» he pointed out. Jelassi urged the Social Affairs Ministry to investigate the matter and enforce the law so as to guarantee the rights of employees in these establishments. According to him, the Attassia television channel «enjoys protection from the power in place as it using this channel to serve its own agenda.» The SNJT President also called on the Finance Minister to respond promptly to the situation of journalists and employees of confiscated radio station, Shems FM, who have not received their salaries for months. Jelassi spoke of the case of journalists Sofien Chourabi and Nédhir Kétari, who have disappeared in Libya since September 9, 2014, believing that the State ought to provide more clarifications about their fate. Jelassi condemned the return to the old practices used in public media, particularly censorship.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse