"Tunisia is once again demonstrating why it is an inappropriate place to hold a United Nations summit," said Melanie Walker, Acting Director of Press Freedom Programmes for the Paris-based WAN. "The UN was repeatedly warned about holding the WSIS in a country that does not respect freedom of expression and freedom of the press. We can only hope that Tunisia’s behavior will convince the UN never to hold another summit in a country that does not respect human rights."

The Paris-based WAN is a member of the Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG), which was forced to call off a round table conference on freedom of expression to be held in Tunis during the WSIS. WAN supports the decision to call off the event.

The seminar was cancelled following a serious of attacks against journalists and human rights activitists, including the stabbing of French journalist Christophe Boltanski of Libération and the attacks, harassment and detention of journalists and civil society activists who were planning a Citizens’ Summit on the Information Society.

In a statement, the TMG said:

"Under these circumstances, International Freedom of Expression Exchange’s Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG) members have come to the conclusion that they cannot continue with an event on freedom of expression planned for today under the auspices of the UN WSIS. The TMG instead will take the opportunity to use this platform to protest in the strongest possible terms this abuse against journalists and freedom of expression.

"The TMG requests that the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as a matter of urgency call on the Tunisian authorities to end attacks on civil society and freedom of expression not only during this Summit, but beyond.

"The TMG also urges Kofi Annan to initiate an Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights special investigation into the occurrences around the WSIS."

The Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG) is a coalition of 14 organisations set up in 2004 to monitor freedom of expression in Tunisia in the run up to and following the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The 14 organisations are all members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), a global network of 64 national, regional and international organizations committed to defending the right to freedom of expression.

Members of the TMG are: Article 19, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), International Publishers Association (IPA), Index on Censorship, PEN Norway, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC), Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR), International PEN Writers in Prison Committee, Journalistes en Danger (JED), Media Institute of South Africa (MISA), World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 72 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr.