The exception that as Tunisian President Ben Ali sought a third term the autocratic regime would be more inclined toward human rights because Tunisia has greatly prospered in recent years, has been shown to be a false hope.

[An otherwise beautiful and great nation. The New York Times.]

Tunisia is an ideal candidate for a democratic transition. It is a small nation, meaning interconnected, with a liberal and secular middle class. Such a demographic would most likely ensure stable, democratic government. Alas, the Tunisian regime has no intention to loosen its grip on Tunisian society.

Tunisia often escapes criticisms from Western governments for its abysmal human rights record due to its small step in geopolitical affairs, the nation is the size of the American state of Virginia and has no significant oil reserves, and because its often adopts an unobjectionable prose toward Western policies in the region. Further, because the nation is quite progressive, even pioneering, in women’s rights and secularism, an image of moderation is crafted so as to distract from the nefarious aspects of the regime. But don’t be fooled. The Tunisian state is one of the worst violators of human rights in the region. Tunisian political prisoners are routinely tortured in the nation’s jails. I know a family friend who was fired from his job and imprisoned for a year simply because someone overheard him casually criticize the president in a cafe.

The Ben Ali government has arrested more journalists in Tunisia since 2000 than any other Arab country! Arresting numerous journalists in itself is appalling [or just one, for that matter], but the fact that the Tunisian government has arrested more journalists in a nation of 10 million than Egypt (75 million) and Syria (19 million) speaks to the level of oppression in the nation. And trust me, Tunisia does not have more journalists than either country, they’re just imprisoned more. Further, critical journalists are a minority within the press corps. The Tunisian press is one of the most pathetic excuses for journalism around. The president’s face dons the front page almost on a daily basis. It is incredibly nurtured. Most publications are owned by people close to the regime or who receive payments from the Interior Ministry, or who fear that is their paper isn’t explicitly and passionately pro-regime they will be seen as suspect.

Sometimes journalists are beaten even before their arrest. A courageous feminist journalist in Tunisia was once beaten mercilessly in her own home. She took photographs of her face and her eyes when horrifically swollen and she suffered face stabbings as well. Her newspaper was banned and when she went online the authorities hacked in and erased her archives.

A Belgian [he might have been Swiss] was one stabbed by plain-clothed secret police in broad daylight all for doing a story on Tunisian activists on a hunger strike. The secret police thought the man was a national rather than a foreigner, they often ban foreign journalists but never intentionally attack them because they know what bad press they would receive overseas. Despite its image of moderation, Tunisia remains the most authoritarian and closely-state monitored nation bar Libya on the Mediterranean.

And now in his address to the nation marking Tunisia’s 33rd anniversary from its independence from France, the president declared war on the countries journalists.

The president spoke against “the persistence [on the part of journalists] on emphasizing mistakes and violations” in their writings. And added that this is “an activity that is unbecoming of our society and is not an expression of freedom or democracy.”

Such Orwellian rhetoric is beyond the pale. The president is condemning the whole purpose of critical journalism: to act as a Fourth Estate and monitor intransigence in government. Is the press supposed to ignore “violations”? Of course, any decent person can see the unsubtle language for what its all about: an unveiled threat to the nation’s already attacked journalists. Who is Ben Ali to decide what is or isn’t an “expression of freedom and democracy”? Are his torture chambers expressions of freedom and liberty?

[The Tyrant planning more suffering for Tunisians.]