7 August 2009 Index on Censorship reports that the Tunisian government discredited Al Jazeera through both state run and pro-government media stating that it was the “the mouthpiece of opposition” to President Ben Ali’s government.
What triggered this discrediting was Al Jazeera’s coverage of a congress organised by Tunisian exiles in Geneva on 20-21 June 2009, in which they urged the president to allow his exiled opponents to return to Tunisia even though many of them face jail sentences because of their political views.
In response to this coverage, the government severely restricted the activities of the Tunisian correspondent for Al Jazeera, Lofti Hajji. More specifically police prevented Hajji from interviewing human rights activists and his internet connection was cut.
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