Tunisian President Kais Saied on Friday (September 16th) issued a decree introducing a five-year prison sentence and a heavy fine for anyone spreading "
false information
" or "
rumors
" online.
The decree, published in the Official Journal, provides for a five-year prison sentence and a fine of 50,000 Tunisian dinars (15,500 euros) for anyone "
who deliberately uses communication networks and information systems to produce, promote, publish or send false information or false rumours
”.
Criticized text
The decree targets people who spread such intox in order to "
infringe the rights of others, public order, national defense or to sow panic among the population
".
The penalty is "
doubled
" in the event of an intox targeting state officials, according to the decree.
As soon as it was published, Internet users criticized the text, believing that it could be used by the authorities to muzzle the press or silence dissenting voices.
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Several local and international NGOs have deplored a "
setback
" in freedoms in Tunisia since President Kais Saied assumed full powers on July 25, 2021, shaking democracy in the country from which the Arab Spring revolts started in 2011. In a report published in early May, the National Union of Journalists (Snjt) warned of "
serious threats
" to press freedom in the country.