Amer Ayed
Journalist
Summary
Police forces arrested journalist Amer Ayed and accused him of committing a heinous act against the Head of State and of inciting disobedience, after he presented a television programme in which he recited a poem criticising the decisions of the President of the Republic, Kais Saied.
Personal Information
Name: Amer Ayed
Nationality: Tunisian
Occupation: Media professional at a television channel
Charges: Committing a heinous act against the Head of State and inciting disobedience (military case)
Incidents of Violation
Amer Ayed is a media professional and programme presenter at Zitouna TV. In the latest episode of his programme "Hasad 24", a programme dealing with political affairs in Tunisia, with MP Abdellatif Aloui, Amer Ayed sharply criticised the President of the Republic, Kais Saied, and the Head of Government, Najla Bouden, and voiced his opposition to the President's recent decisions. As a result, he was arrested on 3 October on the orders of the Public Prosecution at the Permanent Military Court in Tunis and kept in custody until 5 October 2021, when the second investigating judge at the Military Court issued a committal warrant against him and brought a series of charges against him relating to inciting disobedience and committing a heinous act against the President of the Republic, according to his lawyer.
Human Rights Violations
The arrest of journalist Amer Ayed constitutes a serious human rights violation and an attack on press freedom and freedom of expression, as provided for in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and in Article 30 of the Constitution of the Republic. Moreover, the prosecution of a civilian by the military judiciary undermines the right to a fair trial.
Sources
In documenting the case of journalist Amer Ayed, Intersection Association relied on a statement by Zitouna TV, statements made by the victim's lawyer to the media, and a number of press articles.