Tunisia nabs suspect in political hit

Tunisian authorities say they have arrested a suspect in the assassination of leftist opposition figure Chokri Belaid, whose death earlier this month touched off protests across the North African country.

On Monday, police sources said they arrested the suspect, a 31-year-old furniture maker, in the Carthage suburb of Tunis, AFP reported.

They also said they detained a suspected accomplice, allegedly the getaway motorbike rider for the lone, hooded gunman who shot Belaid, 48, at close range in front of his Tunis home on February 6.

Belaid’s assassination triggered violent demonstrations across the country, with the headquarters of the ruling Ennahda party being attacked in more than a dozen cities.

On February 9, the government issued a statement saying that at least one Tunisian policeman was killed and 59 others wounded during unrest sparked by the murder of Belaid. Some 375 people were also arrested, the statement added.

On February 19, Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali resigned after he was unable to extricate the country from the political crisis through the formation of a new government.

Opposition groups have accused Ennahda of being behind the assassination. However, the party’s leader, Rashid al-Ghannouchi, condemned the deadly assault and rejected the allegation.

Political analysts believe the assassination was carried out to discredit Tunisia’s Islamist movement and to block efforts to draft constitution based on Islamic law.