SHORT INFO
Name: Slim Boukhdhir / Salim Boukhdhir
Nationality: Tunisia
Arrested: since 26 Nov 07
Blog: لقلم الحرّ (Arabic)
Global Voices Advocacy: Tunisian Blogger arrested
Committee to Protect Bloggers: Category “Slim Boukhdhir”
BIOGRAPHY
Slim Boukhdhir is a Tunisian journalist and blogger. Being highly critical against the Tunisian government, he was repeatedly assaulted ((Global Voices Advocacy | Blogger and journalist Slim Boukhdir repeatedly assaulted)) and threatened by both plain-clothes police and gangsters close to President Ben Ali’s brothers-in-law.
In 2004, Boukhdhir lost his job as a contributor to newspaper Akhbar Al-Joumhurya ((IFEX Campaigns | Slim Boukhdhir; assaulted and harassed)), but continued writing for foreign clients such as the German Muslim magazine Qantara ((Qantara.de)). Boukhdhir also started blogging on the Arabic blog service Maktoob Blog ((Maktoob Blog)).
In July, 2007 Boukhdhirs blog got hacked and deleted, just one week after the Progressive Democratic Party’s website had been hacked repeatedly ((Global Voices Advocacy | Blog of Tunisian journalist and Blogger hacked)). Boukhdhir did not resume blogging, but concentrated on protesting against the Tunisian regime, especially by undertaking numerous hungerstrikes. In that way, he wanted to denounce government harassment and political restrictions on his right to leave the country. His last hunger strike was held on November 1st to denounce the authorities’ refusal to grant him a passport.
On November 26, Boukhdhir was arrested by the Tunisian police and charged with “verbally assaulting a public employee” and “violating public decency” ((Global Voices Advocacy | Tunisian Blogger/Journalist arrested)). Only a few days later, on December 4, he was sentenced to one year in prison ((Committee to Protect Bloggers | Tunisian Blogger sentenced to 1 year in prison)).
