ARTICLE 9 The Right to Information and to the Freedom of Expression 173. Article 9 of the Charter stipulates that « every individual shall have the right to information » (paragraph 1) and that « every individual shall have the right to express and disseminate his opinions within the law » (paragraph 2). The freedom of expression, of information and self-information is fully guaranteed in Tunisia, in the laws and in daily life. Article 8 of the Tunisian Constitution guarantees not only the individual expression of opinions, but also their dissemination by all the means of communication for the purpose of informing others. I- Guarantees to the freedom of self-information and of information 174. The right to information has great importance due to the vital role that information plays in sanctioning the diversity of opinions and the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution. 175. The Telecommunications Code promulgated by virtue of the law n° 2001-1 of 15th January 2001 on the organization of the Communications Sector and the related services and networks, greatly contributed to the sanctioning of the right of the citizen to information and this by establishing the rights and responsibilities of the users of the communications services and by defining the legal guarantees granted to all the parties concerned. This Code is based on a series of principles including in particular: -The solemn affirmation of the right of the citizen to enjoy communication services, to be guaranteed their confidentiality as well as the putting in place of mechanisms enabling him to exercise this right; - The putting in place of legal guarantees permitting the guarantee of all types of high quality and affordable communication services, throughout the national territory; - Guaranteeing equal access to communication services for all citizens. 176. The Tunisian State has pursued the concretization of the right of the citizen to communication, a right established by Article 3 of the Telecommunications Code in particular, by: - offering the citizen the opportunity to chose the service provider, in the area of communication, thanks to the establishment of the principle of plurality of service providers for all communication services, like the mobile digital telephone (GSM) service providers; - guaranteeing equality of access to communication services for all ctizens and this by guaranteeing these services under the same conditions throughout the national territory and at moderate tariffs which are affordable by all sectors of the society; - bringing the communication services closer to the citizens thanks to new commercial agencies opened in all the regions of the country and the connection of several services; - extending the connection of the internet network to all the University institutions, the scientific research structures, the high schools and colleges; - continuing to offer computers at reasonable prices which are affordable for all the citizens, notably for citizens with low incomes. 40