(ANSA) - TUNIS, JUL 29 - Tunisian President Kaies Saied, also head of the executive since Sunday, after freezing the parliament for 30 days and torpedoing Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, has fired the director of national public television Mohamed Lassaad Dahech, replacing him with a reporter who previously held this interim post, Awatef Dali. This was announced by the presidency in a statement after a human rights activist and a representative of the union of journalists were denied access to the station of the broadcaster, where they had gone as invited to a broadcast.
Amira Mohamed, vice president of the Tunisian Journalists Union, said she was blocked at the entrance to the "Wataniya" TV by a security officer who was waiting for the management's permission to allow her to enter. "The director of Wataniya told me he was instructed by a military officer not to allow guests to enter the television headquarters," added human rights activist Bassem Trifi. But the Minister of Defense and the Presidency of the Republic denied having given such instructions.
A few hours later, however, the director of the national TV, Mohamed Laassad Dhahech, was fired, accused of having attempted to create problems by limiting access to the television seat to the two guests. (HANDLE).