In Tunisia, the threat was finally carried by the Audiovisual Communication Independent High Regulatory Authority (HAICA). This 15^th July 2015, the institution seized the equipment of two television channels (Tounesna TV and Zitouna TV) and the Holy Quran Radio. These private media, which operated without licences, were thus obliged to stop broadcasting.

They had so far turned a deaf ear to the warnings from HAICA. “We have been very patient, but we were compelled to enforce the law by seizing their equipment. These two television channels, Tounesna and Zitouna TV, and Quran Radio have not submitted to HAICA any documentation following the terms of reference and did not comply with the decision of the regulatory body”, explained the president of the HAICA, Nouri Lajmi, quoted by Agence France Presse.

On 6^th July, HAICA had promised to seize the equipment of audiovisual media who did not have operating licences. This is a show of strength which, since 2014, confronts the regulatory body with many bosses of media businesses. The latter refuse to conform to the new terms applicable to all audiovisual media who, for the most part, operated without licences under the regime of President Ben Ali deposed in 2011. In September 2014, after many summonses, HAICA had imposed monetary sanctions on several television channels and radio stations which had continued broadcasting despite their illegal status.

Not even the seizure of their equipment seems to deter them. On its Facebook page, Zitouna TV claimed that it will continue broadcasting. It criticised the favouritism from which some media are benefitting at the expense of others.