Mohamed Boughaleb case: SNJT denounces banning journalists from covering hearing

Tunis: Journalists were banned from covering the hearing in the case of journalist Mohamed Boughaleb at the Tunis Court of Appeal on Friday, said the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT). Journalists were denied access to the courtroom by the security guards on the instructions of the court's president, reads a SNJT press release published Friday. This ban "is another attack on press freedom and reflects the desire to bring journalists to trial behind closed doors," SNJT added. To this end, the SNJT called on the judicial authorities to review their decision to prevent journalists from entering the courtroom in cases that arouse public interest. Article 117 of the Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure stipulates that hearings are public, unless the court decides to hold them behind closed doors, either on its own initiative or at the request of the Public Prosecutor or one of the parties, in order to safeguard public order, morality or the inviolability of family secrets. The SNJT also reiterat ed its refusal to use Decree-Law no.54 "to criminalise the press," calling on the Tunisian judiciary to refer solely to Decree no.115 when prosecuting journalists. Boughelab was sentenced to six months in prison at first instance in a case brought against him by an official at the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse