Tunis - Azhar Jarboui
The widow of assassinated Tunisian left-wing leader Chokri Belaid, Basma Khalfaoui, has demanded police protection for herself and her daughter. Khalfaoui, whose late husband was shot dead on Wednesday outside their family home, has declared her intention to "keep up the political struggle" to defend workers’ rights and continue her husband's work. The assassination of the Democratic Patriots party leader is the first political murder to take place inside Tunisia since the country gained its independence from France in 1956. Activist and lawyer Abdennaceur Aouini, who was Belaid's colleague in the party, said the assassination had “altered the path of Tunisian history.” Belaid's driver Zied Tahri has been released by police after being taken in for questioning on evidence given by a neighbour, who testified she saw him speaking to a stranger moments before the fatal shooting.