January's regime change in Tunisia was warmly welcomed by Trust beneficiaries Slim Boukhdir and Fahem Boukadous – freelance journalists who have both suffered persecution and imprisonment for their reporting under former President Ben Ali’s regime.

Dated: February 2011

Trust beneficiary Fahem Boukadous was released from prison by the interim Government in January. He had been serving a four year sentence for filming anti-government protests in 2008 and we had been supporting him and his wife, Afef, with medicines and hospital bills.

Fahem told us this week that he believed the Jasmine Revolution would ultimately bring democracy to Tunisia, but some of his colleagues had expressed frustration that many in the old regime were still in control of the state media.

Fahem said of the Trust’s support: “It did not fade away for me and my wife, even after I came out of prison.  And this always made me feel that I was not alone.”  We will continue to assist Fahem as he adjusts to his life out of prison, but he told us that he feels confident about the future, and looks forward to reporting freely and without fear in the years to come.

The Trust gave assistance to freelancer Slim Boukhdir and his family between 2008 and 2010. An outspoken journalist, who worked for various media including Al-Arabiya and Tunis News, Slim was repeatedly punished for speaking out against Ben Ali’s government in reports and interviews – he was imprisoned, beaten, threatened and intimidated. This week, he told us that for the first time, high profile journalists have been able to speak freely, without fear of retribution   He was very optimistic about his country’s future and what he described as Tunisia’s “new day of freedom”. 

Egypt

Sarah Giaziri, our Programme Officer for the MENA region, has been closely monitoring events in Egypt, and the situation for freelancers covering the recent anti-government protests . She has been in regular contact with journalists in the field, our media partners and local contacts to see if any freelancers are in need of assistance.

Sarah has also been laising with international partners and NGO’s to ensure that the safety and protection of freelance journalists is a priority in any media development plans for the country.