On 10 December, Mohamed Abbou, a human rights lawyer  was once again prevented from leaving the country by the airport police, while writer, and journalist Lotfi Hidouri   was taken into detention in the airport on his way to Beirut. He was held in jail overnight and taken to court today.

Both were prevented from travelling to Beirut for the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum. The two were to take part in a special event at the forum, hosted by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and the Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG), addressing the increased censorship and harassment facing journalists and civil society activists in Tunisia. The forum, which runs from 11-12 December, is hosted by WAN and the Lebanese newspaper “An-Nahar”.

WAN is a member of the TMG, a coalition of 18 organisations belonging to the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) network. Many of the other members of the TMG will take part in the special Tunisia panel, which was scheduled to feature Abbou and Hidouri, as well as representatives of the Observatory for the Freedom of Press, Publishing and Creation in Tunisia (OLPEC), IFEX’s member in Tunisia. Neziha Rejiba and Sihem Bensedrine of OLPEC and the online magazine Kalima will speak at the event.

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