Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Former Tunisian Officials Arrested Amid Protests

   VOA News  23 January 2011
   Graffiti  in  Tunis  reading "Long live the people" left by protesters
   demanding  that  any  future  government be free of holdovers from the
   former president's regime, 23 Jan 2011

Photo: AP

   Graffiti  in  Tunis  reading "Long live the people" left by protesters
   demanding  that  any  future  government be free of holdovers from the
   former president's regime, 23 Jan 2011

   Police  in Tunisia have placed two key allies of former president Zine
   El  Abidine  Ben  Ali  under  house arrest and detained the owner of a
   private television channel who has family ties to the ousted leader.
   State media reported Sunday that Larbi Nasra, the owner of Hannibal TV
   and a relative of Ben Ali's wife, was arrested on charges of treason.
   Also  detained  were  the former presidential spokesman, Abdelaziz Ben
   Dhia, and head of the Senate, Abdallah Kallel.
   Meanwhile,  protesters  continue  to  demand  the  ouster  of everyone
   associated  with  the  former  president, who fled the country earlier
   this month.
   Hundreds of people took to the streets Sunday to demand that holdovers
   from Ben Ali's reign be kept out of the new government.
   The  unrest erupted in December over discontent with high unemployment
   and  food  prices. The government said earlier that at least 78 people
   had  been  killed  in the violence. U.N. officials have said the death
   toll may be as high as 100.
   NEW: Follow our Middle East reports on [1]Twitter
   and discuss them on our [2]Facebook page.

References

   1. http://twitter.com/VOAMidEast
   2. http://www.facebook.com/pages/VOAMiddleEastVoices/124360240958667?    v=wall