Opposition magazine seized

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) protested today against the seizure of the latest issue of the opposition magazine Al-Tariq al-Jadid after it published criticism of the government's proposed constitutional reforms. n a letter to interior minister Abdallah Kaâbi, RSF secretary-general Robert Ménard called for the immediate cancellation of the measure and said the seizure showed how "any criticism" of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's reform was "out of the question" for the government. RSF noted that last year the authorities twice seized newspapers. At least two foreign publications were censored. RSF learns that officials seized copies of issue no. 4 of Al-Tariq al-Jadid, the organ of the moderate and legally-recognised opposition Ettajdid Movement (ME), at the printing works on 19 March as soon as it came off the presses. No reason was given for the move but it appeared to be the result of an article criticised the constitutional reform, which was presented to parliament on 27 February. The article explained the ME's position on the bill, as revealed on 19 February by its political committee, saying that it had grave doubts and concerns, especially because it had been presented to parliament "without any prior consultation with the opposition or civil society organisations."