5/10/2017 Tunisia: Spate of Prosecutions for Free Speech | Human Rights Watch Defamation laws that provide prison terms for speech Help us continue to ght human rights abuses. Please give now to support our work » deemed offensive or harmful are inconsistent with international standards. In a 2002 joint declaration, three international mandates on freedom of expression stated:   × Criminal defamation is not a justifiable restriction on freedom of expression; all criminal defamation laws should be abolished and replaced, where necessary, with appropriate civil defamation laws.     Region / Country Middle East/North Africa, Tunisia Topic Free Speech, Internet Freedom Tags Freedom of expression, tunisia MORE READING May , | Dispatches Indonesia Sends Jakarta Governor to Prison for Blasphemy Phelim Kine Deputy Director, Asia Division May , | Commentary Diminishing Public Trust in Armenia’s Electoral Process Giorgi Gogia South Caucasus Director, Europe and Central Asia Division Published In: REPORTS https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/09/13/tunisia-spate-prosecutions-free-speech 6/9