Tunisia emergency extended
Print Edition
A state of emergency imposed in Tunisia after a jihadist gunman killed 38 foreign tourists in June is to be extended for two months, the president’s office announced yesterday.
“After consultations with the prime minister and the speaker, the president has decided to extend the state of emergency in force nationwide for two months from August 3,” a statement said. The decision was criticized by rights groups, who warned that Tunisia’s new security measures were “open to abuse” by authorities.
On July 4, eight days after the shooting massacre at the Mediterranean resort of Port El Kantaoui, President Beji Caid Essebsi ordered a state of emergency for an initial 30 days.
Presidency spokesman Moez Sinaoui said the state of emergency had been extended because Tunisia remained “at war against terrorism.”
The decision was not the result of a specific threat “but because the causes (of its initial imposition) are still there,” Sinaoui said.
The state of emergency was one of a raft of measures introduced by the authorities after the seaside massacre, which dealt a heavy blow to Tunisia’s key tourism industry.
The government began arming tourism police for the first time and reinforced them with troops in a bid to reassure foreign governments.
But Britain, whose nationals accounted for 30 of the dead, warned against all but essential travel to Tunisia, saying more needed to be done to make it a safe holiday destination.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
