The IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG), a coalition of 18 organisations, including WAN, that promotes freedom of expression in Tunisia, has urged the UN to increase its efforts in pushing Tunisia to abide to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, notably Article 19 during the 8th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council held in Geneva on 9 June.

Evaluating the progress since its April 2007 report, Freedom of Expression in Tunisia: The Siege Holds, the TMG found that a multitude of breaches continue to exist in large magnitude, including: internet and book censorship, restrictions on freedom of association, interference in the judiciary, detention of prisoners of opinion, reports on torture and police brutality. In response, the TMG said it is important to have an ongoing presence of the UN backed by a more extensive list of recommendations for the country.

The TMG welcomed some improvements including the release of one person referred to its 2007 report, the publishing of some formerly censored books and some seemingly positive improvements in legislation. However, Slim Boukhdir, who was arrested in November 2007, continues to serve his one-year sentence in very difficult conditions at Sfax prison. Moreover, Internet blocking, harassment of human rights activists, and restrictions on independent journalism have yet to abate.

The TMG reiterates its call to the Tunisian government to implement new legislation to allow for a pluralistic and open press, to stop blocking news websites, to stop the harassment and imprisonment of journalists and to release all censored books and to allow new titles to be released.