Tunisians protest after the assassination of Popular Party leader Mohamed Brahmi. Demonstrations have spread across the North African state., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Tunisian protester hit in head by tear gas canister, killed
Sat Jul 27, 2013 2:39AM GMT
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A protester has been killed in the central Tunisian town of Gafsa during a demonstration against the assassination of the country’s opposition leader Mohamed al-Brahmi.
Mohamed Moufli, 45, was killed overnight Friday as police was using tear gas to disperse the protesters. He was hit in the head by a tear gas canister and died soon afterwards in hospital.
Gunmen on a motorbike shot and killed Brahmi, the Tunisian opposition leader, in front of his wife and daughter outside his home in the capital, Tunis, on Thursday.
Brahmi, 58, led the Movement of the People party.
On Friday, Tunisia’s Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou said the assassination was the work of an extremist Salafist.
Jeddou also said the opposition politician was murdered with the same weapon used in the killing of another opposition figure Chokri Belaid in February.
Brahmi’s assassination triggered widespread anti-government rallies nationwide.
Thousands of the angry supporters of the slain opposition figure poured onto the streets of Tunis and other cities on Friday to protest the assassination and called for the government to resign.
Belaid’s killing also sparked demonstrations across the country and forced then-Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali to resign.
Killing of Tunisian opposition figure Brahmi prompts nationwide strike
Fri Jul 26, 2013 8:52AM GMT
The General Union of Tunisian Labor has called a general strike after unknown gunmen shot dead prominent opposition figure Mohamed Brahmi - a move that brought thousands onto the streets.
According to reports by Tunisian state media, the 58-year-old politician of the leftist Popular Movement was killed by eleven bullets fired at him outside his home in Ariana, near the capital Tunis, on Thursday.
The strike has made Tunisia’s national airline Tunisair cancel all flights on Friday.
The killing has also triggered widespread anti-government demonstrations nationwide as mass protests were held in the cities of Sousse, Sidi Bouzid, Sfax and Tunis on Thursday.
In the capital, the protesters gathered in front of the Interior Ministry building and called for the closure of parliament.
In Sfax, some 270 kilometers (170 miles) southeast of Tunis, protesters reportedly hurled stones at police. In response, police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
Meanwhile, Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Larayedh condemned “in the strongest terms this odious crime which targets the whole of Tunisia and its security,” and called for calm across the country.
“This drama must not be exploited to sow trouble,” the premier warned, saying “Only minutes after news of the murder was announced, calls were made inciting Tunisians to kill each other.”
This is the second assassination of an opposition politician in Tunisia after the February 6 killing of Chokri Belaid outside his home in Tunis.
Belaid’s killing sparked demonstrations across the country, and the headquarters of the ruling Ennahda Party was attacked in more than a dozen cities.
Gunmen used same weapon to kill Tunisia's opposition leaders
Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:50PM GMT
Tunisia, the birthplace of pro-democracy protests across North Africa and the Middle East, is struggling with a democratic changeover after the overthrow of its dictator in 2011."
The prominent Tunisian opposition leader and member of parliament, Mohamed al-Brahmi, has been assassinated with the same weapon that killed the head of the Democratic Patriots Party Shukri Balaid in February.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement on Friday that Brahmi was assassinated with the same weapon used in the killing of another opposition figure Balaid earlier this year.
The statement comes after unknown gunmen on Thursday shot and killed Brahmi in the second such assassination this year.
The killings have triggered widespread anti-government rallies nationwide.
Thousands of angry supporters of the slain opposition member reportedly poured onto the streets of Tunis and other cities to protest the assassination.
Meanwhile, the opposition groups have staged a general strike in Tunisia over the latest political assassination in the North African country. The General Union of Tunisian Labor announced Friday’s walkout to condemn the killing of Brahmi -- a member of Tunisia's opposition Popular Front party.
According to the country’s civil aviation, all flights to and from Tunisia have been also canceled.
Meanwhile, the opposition party says it will launch an alternative government and force the current one to step down.
The slain leader held a seat in the assembly tasked with writing the new constitution.
The government has blamed Belaid's assassination on extremists.
Tunisia, the birthplace of pro-democracy protests across North Africa and the Middle East, is struggling with a democratic changeover after the overthrow of its dictator in 2011.
The moderate ruling party Ennahda was elected following the ouster of former dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in January 2011.
Tunisia has seen numerous clashes between the authorities and extremist groups over the past few months.
Tunisia Police Use Tear Gas
Thu Jul 25, 2013 11:8PM GMT
Tunisian police have fired tear gas at people holding a demonstration in the capital against the assassination of eminent opposition figure Mohamed Brahmi.
On Thursday, Tunisian riot police used tear gas to disperse people protesting in front of the Interior Ministry in Tunis.
Thursday morning, unidentified assailants shot and killed Brahmi in front of his house in Tunis in the second such assassination this year.
Following his killing, Tunisians took to the streets in several cities across the country to vent their anger.
The country’s main labor organization called for a general strike on July 26 to condemn the killing,
Tunisia’s civil aviation office issued a statement saying that “All flights to and from Tunisia will be cancelled tomorrow because the workers at the airport responded to the calling of the general strike.”
On the same day, Martin Nesirky, spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that “The secretary-general condemns the assassination today of Mr. Mohamed Brahmi… He calls for calm and stresses that acts of political violence weaken legitimate state institutions which underpin the democratic process.”
The statement also said that “This heinous act must not be allowed to derail the progress that Tunisia continues to make in its democratic transition, including on the Constitution, and in meeting the social and economic aspirations of the Tunisian people.”
Brahmi, who was a member of the Popular Front party, held a seat in the Constituent Assembly tasked with writing a new constitution following the 2011 revolution.
The assassination of leftist opposition figure Chokri Belaid outside his home in the capital in early February triggered violent demonstrations across the country, with the headquarters of the ruling Ennahda party being attacked in more than a dozen cities.
Tunisia, the birthplace of pro-democracy protests across North Africa and the Middle East, is struggling with a democratic changeover after the overthrow of its Western-backed dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
Salafist assassinated Tunisia's opposition figure: Interior Minister
Fri Jul 26, 2013 3:4PM GMT
Meanwhile, the opposition groups have staged a general strike in Tunisia over the latest political assassination in the North African country. The General Union of Tunisian Labor announced Friday’s walkout to condemn the killing of Brahmi -- a member of Tunisia's opposition Popular Front party."
The Tunisian interior minister says the assassination of leading opposition figure Mohamed Brahmi was the work of a member of the extremist Salafist movement.
Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou made the remark at a press conference a day after Brahmi was gunned down outside his home by two gunmen on a motorcycle in Tunis.
"The first elements of the investigation show the implication of Boubaker Hakim, a Salafist extremist," he told a press conference on Friday.
The Interior Ministry also says the opposition politician was murdered with the same weapon used in the killing of another opposition figure Shukri Balaid February this year.
Tunisia has seen numerous clashes between the authorities and extremist Salafist groups over the past few months.
Brahmi’s assassination has triggered widespread anti-government rallies nationwide.
Thousands of angry supporters of the slain opposition figure poured onto the streets of Tunis and other cities to protest the assassination. The protesters also gathered in front of the Ministry of Interior in Tunis, demanding the closure of parliament.
Meanwhile, the opposition groups have staged a general strike in Tunisia over the latest political assassination in the North African country. The General Union of Tunisian Labor announced Friday’s walkout to condemn the killing of Brahmi -- a member of Tunisia's opposition Popular Front party.
According to the country’s civil aviation, all flights to and from Tunisia have been also canceled.
The slain leader held a seat in the assembly tasked with writing the new constitution.
Tunisia, the birthplace of pro-democracy protests across North Africa and the Middle East, is struggling with a democratic changeover after the overthrow of its dictator in 2011.
Meanwhile, some opposition parties say they will launch an alternative government and force the current one to step down.
The moderate ruling party Ennahda was elected following the ouster of former dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in January 2011.
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