While the trial of the Nice attack opened on September 5, the Tunisian media are largely absent, preferring not to cover this trial.
In October 2020, the Tunisian newspaper Businessnews headlined: “Tunisia faced with the barbarity of its lost sheep”. An article which followed a knife attack perpetrated by a young Tunisian of 21 years. The country, the online newspaper wrote, “has become an 'exporter of terrorists'”. Four years earlier, another Tunisian struck Nice in the heart: the July 14 attack killed nearly 90 people and injured several hundred.
The attack had been strongly condemned by the Tunisian authorities and a judicial inquiry had been opened by the anti-terrorist unit.
A year after the Nice attack, the remains of Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a native of Msaken near Sousse, the driver of the truck, had been repatriated to Tunisia. At that time, several Tunisian titles had mentioned the subject. Since then, it's been a dead calm.
A Tunisian terrorist, but also Tunisian victims
Tunisian newspapers, even French-speaking ones, have in fact completely concealed the opening of the Nice attack trial, which began on Monday, September 5th.
Surprised by the disinterest of the Tunisian, North African and Muslim community/media in the trial of the Nice attack. Obviously I am in the 1st line so it concerns me. I lost 4 members of my family, I almost died so it makes sense that I talk about it regularly here.
— Linda (@mrsfayrouz) September 14, 2022
A lack of interest that raises questions. Because in addition to the Tunisian nationality of the author of the attack and his alleged accomplices, several Tunisian nationals were also counted among the victims. On July 19, 2016, the remains of three of the four Tunisians killed in the Nice attack were repatriated to Tunis. At the time, government officials were present.