International condemnation of the move.. Al Jazeera denounces the storming of the Tunisian security office and the forcible removal of its journalists

Al Jazeera Media Network denounced the raid by Tunisian security forces of Al Jazeera's office in Tunis, and forcing all journalists in the office to leave the place, and considered the raid an attack on press freedom.

The director of Al Jazeera's office in Tunisia, Lotfi Hajji, said that security forces without uniforms stormed the office on Monday and demanded that the phones be turned off and prevented workers from using them.

He added that the security forces believed that there were transmitters inside the office, and when they discovered that the broadcast was taking place from Al Jazeera headquarters in Doha, they asked all the workers to leave.

Al-Jazeera correspondent had reported that more than 10 security officers stormed the Al-Jazeera office without judicial orders, confiscated the office's keys, and did not allow journalists to return to retrieve their personal belongings.

The security forces did not explain the reasons for storming the office, saying only that they acted "in accordance with instructions."

Al Jazeera considers the behavior of the Tunisian authorities an escalation of concern, and fears that it will represent an obstacle to professional and objective coverage of the current events in the country.

The network calls on the Tunisian authorities to allow its journalists to work without hindrance, as they should be allowed to practice their profession without fear or intimidation, and commends the stand of solidarity with human rights and media institutions for their condemnation of these actions against Al Jazeera's office in Tunisia.

In a world where the media faces increasing threats, the Al Jazeera network views the storming of its office as an attack on the general freedom of the press.

convictions

The Tunisian Journalists Syndicate "strongly" condemned the storming of the headquarters of Al-Jazeera and "disrupting the freedom of journalistic work in violation of laws" and held President Kais Saied responsible for protecting the press.

She said that Al Jazeera's correspondents noticed interference with their communications during the course of their work.

The Syndicate called on the President of the country to intervene urgently and immediately to ensure freedom of press work, and to address all illegal procedures in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. The Syndicate asked President Saeed to clarify the vision for the exceptional measures, and to develop a road map with the participation of all, expressing concern about the threat to freedom of expression and the media.

In the same context, the United Nations said it hopes that journalists in Tunisia, including Al Jazeera journalists, will be able to carry out their work without harassment, expressing its alarm at reports of security intrusion into Al Jazeera's office in Tunisia. Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, added that The United Nations wants to "guarantee respect for freedom of the press in light of the current situation in Tunisia."

Amnesty International called on the Tunisian president to publicly commit to respecting and protecting human rights, including freedom of expression, and said that the level of concern about the human rights situation in Tunisia rose after the security raid on the office of Al-Jazeera, describing this as a brutal attack on freedom of expression and a disturbing precedent.

The organization added that the freedoms and human rights that were achieved thanks to the Tunisian uprising in 2011 are in danger, and urged the Tunisian president to ensure that his decisions are consistent with his country's obligations under international human rights law.

For its part, the International Committee to Protect Journalists said that the storming of Al-Jazeera's office jeopardizes Tunisia's leading position in the field of press freedom, calling on the Tunisian authorities to immediately and unconditionally allow the office of Al-Jazeera to operate freely.

The "Reporters Without Borders" organization condemned "the storming of Al Jazeera's office in Tunisia and the involvement of the media in political conflicts."

"We strongly condemn the storming of Al Jazeera's office in Tunisia, and we demand respect for the press and freedoms," the Norwegian Journalists Syndicate said.

The head of the Tunis Center for Freedom of the Press, Mahmoud Thawadi, said that the storming of Al-Jazeera's office is a precedent that does not bode well for the situation of journalists in Tunisia.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Sherif Mansour, the Middle East and North Africa program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, called for lifting the ban on Al-Jazeera's work in Tunisia, and said that the Tunisian president owes his position to the revolution and the freedoms and democratic transformation it brought.

It is noteworthy that the Tunisian President announced - on Sunday evening - freezing the powers of Parliament, lifting the immunity of his deputies, and dismissing the Prime Minister, Hisham Al-Mashishi.