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Tunisia
Independent online newspaper attacked
Its content completely destroyed
On the 8th of October, 2008, Kalima website (http://www.kalimatunisie ), often considered as one of the only independent news sources in Tunisia, has suffered an attack that has completely destroyed its web content. The site will now have to be completely rebuilt and uploaded.
Kalima website was inaccessible to internet users in Tunisia and according to Kalima editor-in-chief Sihem Bensedrine: "the only people who would benefit from this attack are the security services."
According to Kamel Jendoubi, President of the Euro-Mediterranean Human rights Network (EMHRN: “Hacking email as well as attacks against websites considered to be hostile to the regime became current these last months. It seems it is a part of the plan planned by the Tunisian authorities in order to harass political personalities, human rights defenders and activists. Testimonies do not leave any doubt about the existence of an internet police force, which operates without any control and is responsible for acts of piracy, reprehensible under the Tunisian law, generally in close cooperation with the ministry of Interior ".
The human rights defenders themselves are regularly assaulted in Tunisia. For the only year 2008, Sihem Bensedrine and Omar Mestiri (director of Kalima) in March 2008 1, Khemais Chamari (member of the REMDH) in April 2008 2, Fatma Ksila and Samia Abbou in February 3…
The REMDH reiterates its whole solidarity with Kalima and its personnel as well as with all other defenders of the human rights in Tunisia.
The EMHRN reiterates its solidarity with Kalima and its personnel as well as with all other human rights defenders in Tunisia. It calls upon Tunisian authorities to initiate without any delay an independent investigation which results must be made public.
1/ http://www.euromedrights.net/pages/511/news/focus/51558
2/http://www.euromedrights.net/pages/511/news/focus/52202
3/http://www.euromedrights.net/pages/511/news/focus/51213
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