Two young men have occupied Tunisia in recent days after they posted a rap song in which they taunted the country’s police. The two youngsters, Yousef Shalabi and Diaa Nasir, appeared this week in a comic song on social media. titled “Baba in the night … He goes (searches)) in the territory. During which they criticized the way the police deal with drug users and dealers. They also accused this country’s ancient apparatus of taking bribes, using violence and force, and falsifying research reports.
This prompted security forces to arrest them today, Wednesday, sparking debate about restrictions on free speech and the arts in the country. For his part, the lawyer of the two young people, Eman Al-Suwaysi, explained that they were arrested a few days after the song was released and distributed, and transferred to a criminal court on charges of insulting others through communication networks, attributing incorrect questions to a public official through the press or otherwise, as well as attribution of illegal matters related to public office. While the search continues for a third young man, who starred with them in a video that has been widely circulated among Tunisians. The lawyer added that the two young men, who are both university students, could face one year in prison and be banned from taking exams at the end of the year. He also considered that the lyrics of the song are normal and do not contain profanity, sarcasm and insults to the police.
On the other hand, activist Mohamed Trabelsi believes that “the lyrics of the song contain a clear distortion, public slander and false accusation against the security apparatus, as well as insults and humiliation of the official body and a clear violation of its prestige.” and it is punishable by law.” He also saw in the comments he posted on his Facebook account that the song’s content clearly encouraged drug use.
While the Observatory on Violations of Freedom of Opinion and Expression condemned the arrest of Shalabi and Nasir, considering the charges against them “insidious and infringing on freedom of speech.” It is noteworthy that the arrest and trial of the two young people caused a wide controversy on social networks between a critic of the content of the song, who saw it as an insult and an insult to one of the most important state bodies, slandering the police and breaking the law, and those who considered this step an attempt to curb youth and artists.
