Tunisia police seize equipment used by pro-Ennahda channel

Zitouna TV is considered close to Ennahda and its ally Al-Karama. (AFP)

TUNIS: Tunisian security forces on Wednesday seized broadcasting equipment used by an unlicensed television station close to the Islamist-inspired Ennahda party, the country’s media authority said.
Zitouna TV, considered close to Ennahda and its ally Al-Karama, both of which oppose a July power grab by President Kais Saied, had been operating illegally, the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication said.
“Broadcasting equipment was confiscated today from the Zitouna channel following a decision,” HAICA president Nouri Lajmi said.
“Zitouna has been broadcasting illegally for years and has not received a broadcasting license as it has not respected the legal framework.” Nasreddine bin Hammouda, head of production at the Zitouna Network that produces programs for Zitouna TV and other channels, said “security forces accompanied by members of the HAICA raided the headquarters of Zitouna Network ... and began confiscating equipment.”
“Nobody told us it was forbidden to work with Zitouna TV,” he said.
Hichem El-Senoussi, a member of HAICA, said that decisions had been taken a month ago against Zitouna TV and other channels that had “failed to comply with orders to stop broadcasting.”