Tunisia president urges journalists to work for free and 'audacious' press

Tunis: President Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali has urged Tunisia's journalists and media to strive for a free and an "audacious" press, saying freedom of expression was a fundamental right.

Rights groups accuse Tunisia's government of stifling press freedom and have repeatedly demanded more tolerance of dissent.

This week they assailed French President Nicolas Sarkozy after he dismissed concerns over Tunisia's human rights record and praised the government's anti-terrorism fight during a visit to Tunisia.

In a statement ahead of World Press Freedom day yesterday, Ben Ali said his government had carried out several legal and political measures to develop a free and vibrant media.

"We reiterate our call to redouble efforts ... to diversify and enrich spaces of dialogue in the various media to guarantee a developed and audacious national information ... away from all forms of self-censorship and external censorship," Ben Ali said.

Two journalists at a pro-opposition newspaper spent a sixth day on hunger strike to protest against what they called a government tactic to strangle their paper's finances.