On 31 May, the New Arab Debates (NAD), a political discussion forum which takes place in MENA region countries, decided to suspend all of its operations in Tunisia after security forces disrupted the programme earlier this week.

On 29 May, two police officers in plain clothes interrupted the NAD discussion on political violence in Tunisia, asking for a list containing the names of those participating in the debate. The NAD has suspended operation in retaliation to the interference, saying that the incident interfered with their “right to pursue a free speech project in a newly democratic country”.

In a statement, NAD chairman Tim Sebastian, described the police conduct as a “serious incident” and   a “breach of security with the utmost concern”.

The NAD team has appealed to the Tunisian Interior Ministry, and an internal investigation is pending.