19 September 2012

Tunisian artists cry for help against religious extremists

.... As the new Tunisia struggles to find its way within the conflicting visions of the future, some artists have found themselves in trouble with the law.

Painter Nadia Jelassi is facing charges of harming public order after her depictions of veiled women went on display at a gallery. The artist could face a sentence of up to five years in prison, lawyers say.

.... "Time and again, prosecutors are using criminal legislation to stifle critical or artistic expression," Human Rights Watch said in early August.

Some artists have said they fear a repeat of the situation in 1990's Algeria, where radical militant Islamists killed artists and journalists during the height of its 'black years' on the grounds that art is forbidden in Islam. [Reuters] Read more