SNJT condemns arrest of Al Jazeera journalist Samir Sassi

The National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) on Thursday condemned the arrest of Al Jazeera Tunis bureau journalist Samir Sassi during a raid on his home by the National Guard's Terrorist Crimes Investigation Unit in Ettadhamon district. The SNJT denounced in a statement the journalist's "abusive detention" for more than 12 hours and the fact that he was taken to an unknown destination without informing his family. According to the union, this is a violation of the right to defence guaranteed by Law No. 2016-5 of February 16, 2016 amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The union said a National Guard unit searched the journalist's home before confiscating his computer, telephone and the mobile phones of all his family members and taking him to an unknown destination. It was only Thursday, that his place of detention was revealed. The SNJT added that Samir Sassi's lawyer stated that the unit in question had received an order prohibiting the presence of a lawy er for 48 hours. Suspicions of terrorism could be linked to this case, according to him. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse