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On Saturday, four Tunisian National Guardsmen were kidnapped by an armed group of Libyans one kilometer within Tunisian territory, in the governate of Mednine (south-western Tunisia), around 3:00 p.m. According to Mr. Hichem Meddeb, spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior, three of the men untied themselves and escaped. However, their officer is still being held by [...]
Yesterday, December 30th, thirteen Tunisian civil society groups organized a march in observance of the National Day for Criminalizing the Normalization of Relations with Israel in front of the Constituent Assembly’s headquarters. These organizations called out, not only to the Tunisian government but to all Arab governments, against the normalization of engagement with Israel. The march involved Tunisian citizens from a variety of age [...]
Yesterday, December 30th, the curfew was lifted in the communities of Ramada and Dhehiba in the governorate of Tataouine (southern-Tunisia). According to a press release from the Ministry of the Interior, the decision to lift the curfew was implemented after the security situation was deemed to have adequately improved in the region. The curfew was declared after gang violence erupted in the towns on December [...]
Despite some improvements, nearly a year after the fall of the Ben Ali regime media in Tunisia still suffers from residues of the decades of censorship and repression. Recently the post-revolutionary media landscape has grown considerably more diverse as several media outlets emerged to join the scene. However, media is still adjusting itself to the freer climate. In [...]
Today, the Tunisian Pirate Party (Parti Pirate Tunisie) continued its battle to achieve legal recognition from the Tunisian government. The organization appealed to the Trial Court of Tunis to demand a license to operate as an official political party. The Tunisian Pirate Party previously submitted a request for a license to participate in Constituent Assembly elections. However, since they never recieved an [...]
To many, Ali Laarayedh’s appointment as the new Minister of Interior in the coalition government came as a surprise, especially considering Laaryedh’s bitter history with the ministry. A fervent oppositional figure during Ben Ali’s regime, Laarayedh was detained and tortured by the Ministry of Interior on numerous occasions. It is said that at times, his [...]
The Ministry of Industry and Technology and several civil society organizations have been frantically negotiating with the Japanese company, Yazaki Group, in an effort to reopen the factorty that was recently shutdown in Gafsa (southern Tunisia). Yazaki’s Om Larayes plant in Gafsa was officially closed on December 20. Several days of strikes disrupted production at the company, which led to significant losses. Yazaki, a cabling firm, employed 2,200 [...]
The daily Tunisian newspaper Le Temps reported that, in spite of the new Ministry of Tourism’s optimism, the Tunisian tourism sector may be suffering more than initially expected. The number of hotel reservations has registered a whopping 53% drop. The country also lost 42% of its French market, 42% of its German market and 79.2 [...]
Critically acclaimed film “Rouge Parole” (Red Word), by the Tunisian movie director Elyes Baccar, will be screened in the Amilcar movie theater in Manar, Tunis, starting on January 4th. The premiere took place on Thursday, December 29th at the same venue. “Rouge Parole” tells the story of the Tunisian popular uprisings that led to the [...]
Extra Cost for French Visa Offset by Faster Services, French Consul Says
“A visa is not a stamp on a passport, it is more complicated than that,” said Bertrand Weisberger, a representative of TLS Contact, the company chosen by the French embassy in Tunis to contract out its visa processing services. Today, the French embassy held a press conference at the new visa services headquarters in Lac 2 [...]
What’s On in Tunis May 16 – 22, 2012
The big event of this week is the continuing festival of contemporary art, Carthage Contemporary. The centerpiece of the month-long event is the international exhibition Chkoun Ahna (Who are We) at the Musée Nationale de Carthage on Byrsa Hill. The multimedia exhibition explores Tunisian identity from the perspective of the diverse and varied contributions that [...]
Carrefour Employees Affiliated with the CGTT Union to Strike from May 25-26
Carrefour employees affiliated with the Tunisian General Labor Confederation (CGTT) union announced a strike from May 25-26 in a press release yesterday. On Sunday, a meeting was held at the CGTT’s main office in Tunis. CGTT members, who work in Carrefour’s Tunisian branches, called for a general strike to bring attention to certain unsatisfactory working [...]
Palestinian Hunger Strike Ends on “Nakba” after Viral Internet Campaign
Around the world, supporters of Palestinian prisoners are celebrating today. Yesterday, prisoners in Israeli jails ended their hunger strike that had lasted, for some, for over 70 days. At one point around 2,000 prisoners were involved in the strike, protesting poor conditions in Israeli jails, and demanding to be able to see their families from [...]
Two Moroccan Jihadist Scholars Detained at Tunis-Carthage International Airport
Two Moroccan Jihadist scholars, Hassan Kettani and Omar Hadouchi, were detained yesterday night at Tunis-Carthage International Airport. Over 100 sympathizers flooded the airport at midnight, calling for the release of both men from Tunisian custody. Mohamed Sofiene, a self-described Salafist and one of the supporters who went to the airport, explained that the reasons behind the detainment [...]
Candidate for Libyan Constituent Assembly Assassinated After Filing to Run
A candidate for the Libyan Constituent Assembly Elections was killed on Sunday after he was pursued by five cars shortly after he filed papers to run, according to Mohammed Salah the Deputy Head of Libya’s High Security Commission. The AFP has reported that Khaled Abu Salah, a 40-year-old physician was murdered 30 kilometers from Ubari [...]
Constituent Assembly Opposition Members Accused of Vote Fraud
During yesterday’s National Constituent Assembly plenary session, opposition members were accused of vote fraud. “While voting on one of the articles concerning the complementary budget, 162 votes were counted, while there were only 146 members present in the session,” said Constituent Assembly member Jawhara Ettiss, from the Ennahdha party. According to Ettiss, a number of opposition [...]
Rumors of Radioactive Waste in Gabès Governorate Proven False
Today, Minister of Public Health Abdellatif Mekki denied the claim that there was radioactive landfilled waste in the region of Ben Ghilouf in Hamma, a city in the governorate of Gabès. He declared on the air to Mozaique FM that a team of observers from the National Center of Nuclear Sciences and Technologies visited the targeted region to [...]
