The Committee on Rights and Freedoms continued today its examination of a number of draft organic laws relating to the regulation of associations, the protection of personal data, and amendments to certain provisions of the Nationality Code, while also discussing several oversight files directly linked to the state of rights and freedoms in Tunisia.

During the session, it was once again emphasized that the Committee on Rights and Freedoms cannot become a merely formal body isolated from public debate, nor continue operating amid the ongoing obstruction of hearing requests and the failure to send several invitations despite decisions issued by the committee. This concerns governmental bodies, experts, and components of civil society in relation to draft laws that directly affect public and individual freedoms.

The need to respect the rules of jurisdiction within the parliamentary institution was also stressed, particularly regarding the draft organic law concerning the Audiovisual Communication Authority, alongside discussions on the possibility of pursuing administrative legal action in defense of the committee’s prerogatives and the respect of legal and institutional procedures.

Regarding its oversight role, the committee decided to hold a session on June 2 concerning the state of the audiovisual and media sector in Tunisia, in the presence of representatives from the Journalists’ Syndicate, the Press Council, academics from the Institute of Press, and representatives of public and private media as well as concerned associations. This initiative stems from the firm belief that the media are not merely a technical or professional sector, but one of the principal arenas for discussing public affairs and guaranteeing pluralism, freedom of expression, and the right of access to information.

The committee also decided to hold a session on June 4 concerning the state of the justice system, the judiciary, and prison institutions, in the presence of representatives of the Bar Association, the Ministry of Justice, and several relevant stakeholders. This comes amid escalating tensions within the judicial sector, including strikes and protest actions announced by the National Bar Association. These developments raise serious questions regarding judicial independence, the right to defense, litigation conditions, the state of courts and prisons, and the extent to which fair trial guarantees and the rule of law are being respected.

The Committee on Rights and Freedoms cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening today within the justice system or the media sector, because these are not merely professional or sectoral disputes, but issues that directly affect rights, freedoms, and the democratic balance within the state.

Members of the committee will continue defending their right to fully exercise their legislative and oversight responsibilities, and will reject any attempt to transform parliamentary committees into purely symbolic structures emptied of their genuine legislative and supervisory role, or to restrict free and pluralistic debate within the parliamentary institution.

What was published on the official page of Parliament is not a summary of what we discussed within the Committee on Rights and Freedoms. What was published amounts to an erasure of the human rights and oversight substance of the session: positions expressed were removed, real institutional tensions were erased, and replaced with empty administrative language suggesting that everything is proceeding calmly and without objection.