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**A group of pro-government reporters has seized control of Tunisia’s largest journalism union two months before a general election, activists say.**Reporters Without Borders says it is concerned for the independence of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists.
The group says the move bodes ill for the fairness of the forthcoming vote, where President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is going for a fifth term in office.
Separately, rights groups have renewed complaints about abuses in Tunisia.
Tunisian officials contacted by the BBC have not yet responded to the allegations.
‘Harsh reality’
Members of Tunisia’s journalism union accused pro-government reporters of using internal regulations to take over.
Union President Neji Bghouri told the pressure group: “This was a government takeover of an organisation that was meant to be independent and autonomous.”
Reporters Without Borders said the move “bodes ill not only for the union’s independence but also for Tunisia’s already extremely limited degree of press freedom”.
Meanwhile Amnesty International renewed its criticism of the country’s rights record.
The organisation’s Malcolm Smart said: "The Tunisian authorities continue to carry out arbitrary arrests and detentions, allow torture and use unfair trials, all in the name of the fight against terrorism.
“This is the harsh reality behind the official rhetoric.”
President Ben Ali has been in power since a bloodless coup in 1997.
He changed the constitution in 2002 to allow himself more time in office and has polled more than 90% of the vote in each of the four previous elections.
He is regularly criticised for tolerating no internal dissent.