The Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HAICA) concluded on Sunday the work of a training session for agents of the monitoring unit under the authority on the media treatment of pending cases.

This was the second session organised in collaboration with the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Chaired by the spokesperson for the Monastir and Mahdia courts, the session identified the areas of interdependence between the media and the justice system. Topics such as crimes of expression, monitoring and the role of HAICA in protecting freedom of expression were on the agenda.

Participants reviewed examples of good practice in this area and indicators that could help monitoring officers assess media content. Among these indicators was the media's respect for the principle of presumption of innocence in pending cases.

They discussed ways of avoiding defamatory speech and attacks on human dignity, highlighting the responsibility of journalists in this respect.

The training session also provided an opportunity to emphasise respect for the rights of victims, particularly vulnerable groups, as well as ways of avoiding discourse that could undermine the ongoing judicial investigation, stressing the need to respect the independence of the judiciary.

The programme also includes theoretical approaches to the human rights system, related legislation and the indicators and guarantees of a fair trial. It also covers the right to protection of personal data and the guarantees and limits of freedom of expression.

The session is part of a cycle of training on the relationship between the media and justice, workshops and meetings between judges and media professionals with a view to drawing up a policy paper on the areas in which the two sectors can intervene to protect rights and freedoms.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse