TUNIS, June 23 (Reuters) - United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk on Friday called on Tunisia to stop restricting media freedoms and said it was criminalizing independent journalism since President Kais Saied seized wide powers in 2021. But activists and journalists say freedom of speech faces a serious threat under Saied's rule. Dozens of journalists and activists protested last month against restrictions of freedoms and trials targeting journalists and bloggers. Turk said that since July 2021, the U.N. Human Rights Office in Tunisia has documented 21 cases of alleged human rights violations against journalists. Saied rejects accusations that is targeting freedoms.

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Persons: Volker Turk, Kais Saied, El, Ben Ali, Turk, Saied, Tarek Amara, Mark Heinrich, Angus MacSwan Organizations: United Nations, Tunisians, Human, National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists, Thomson Locations: TUNIS, Tunisia