UPDATE -Tunisian authorities stop TV channel from broadcasting

ADDS INTERIOR MINISTRY STATEMENT, TWEAKS HEADLINE

By Adel al-Thabti

TUNIS (AA) – The private Nessma television channel on Thursday said it had been forced to stop broadcasting on the orders of Tunisia’s Communications Authority.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Nessma officials said security forces had stormed its Tunis offices on Thursday morning and cut the network’s transmission.

“Network staff are now surrounded by security forces,” according to the Facebook post.

In a statement issued later on Thursday, Tunisia’s Interior Ministry confirmed that security forces had, in fact, entered the network’s offices and confiscated equipment.

“On April 15, the Communications Authority issued an order to seize the network’s broadcasting equipment since the channel is operating without legal basis,” the ministry stated.

It went on to assert that, last October, the authority had asked Nessma to “comply with the law and settle its legal status, but the channel did not comply”.

The ministry also denied the channel’s assertion that security forces had assaulted Nessma employees.

In January, the Communications Authority accused the network of having committed “serious violations” and “operating outside the law”.

The nature of these alleged “violations”, however, remains unclear.