The Tunisian government confiscates a book critical of Saied at the inauguration of the Book Fair

The president of Tunisia defends the protection of culture

28 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The Tunisian authorities have seized this Friday all the editions of a book critical of the Tunisian president, Kais Saied, shortly after the president has inaugurated the Book Fair, defending upon arrival the protection of culture and critical thinking.

Saied has emphasized in statements to the press that knowledge and critical awareness are not achieved through “rigid thinking” or “overwhelmed concepts” at the same time that he has affirmed that “there is no future without culture”, has picked up by the state news agency TAP.

After the inauguration, the Ministry of Culture has reported in a statement that one of the stands at the Book Fair has been closed by security agents after seizing all the editions of ‘The Tunisian Frankenstein’, by the writer Kamel Riahi, for being an “unauthorized” book.

In response, Habib al Zoghbi, the director of publications and distribution of the Casa del Libro, the stand closed, has subsequently indicated that the content of the book does not harm “in any way” the security of the State, Mosaique FM has reported.

The book, defined as a political fiction story, is inspired by the character of Victor Frankenstein, created by the writer Mary Shelley, to personify the disappointments of Tunisian society caused by a dictatorial system.

The Tunisian president has promoted a series of measures to reform the Tunisian political system, including a constitutional referendum, approved in the midst of the opposition boycott, which reinforces the powers of his office.

The opposition has denounced the authoritarian drift of the president and has demanded his resignation, especially after the very low participation in the legislative elections in December and January, as well as the wave of arrests against activists and opponents.