Chokri Belaïd
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Chokri Belaïd (; 26 November 1964 – 6 February 2013), also transliterated as Shokri Belaïd, was a
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
n politician and lawyer who was an opposition leader with the left-secular
Democratic Patriots' Movement The Democratic Patriots' Unified Party (), formerly the Democratic Patriots' Movement, is a communist party in Tunisia. Established in 1981, the movement was only legalised in 2011 after the Tunisian Revolution. The movement primarily advocates ...
. Belaïd was a vocal critic of the
Ben Ali Ben Ali may refer to: People * Ben Ali (businessman) (1927–2009), founder of the restaurant Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, DC, USA * Habib Ben Ali (1941–1996), Tunisian criminal * Ibrahim Ben Ali (1756–1800), soldier and physician who was ...
regime prior to the 2011 Tunisian revolution and of the then Islamist-led Tunisian government. On 6 February 2013, he was fatally shot outside his house in
El Menzah El Menzah (), is the name given to a group of suburbs located at the north of the agglomeration of Tunis, capital of Tunisia. Description Created for middle class and upper classes, it is a subdivision of residencies, villas and buildings. Th ...
, close to the Tunisian capital,
Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...
. As a result of his assassination, Tunisian Prime Minister
Hamadi Jebali Hamadi Jebali (, '; born 12 January 1949) is a Tunisian engineer, politician, and journalist who was Prime Minister of Tunisia from December 2011 to March 2013. He was the Secretary-General of the Ennahda Movement, a moderate Islamic party in Tun ...
announced his plan to dissolve the existing national government and to form a temporary "national unity" government.


Early and personal life

Belaïd was born in the town of
Djebel Jelloud : ''For mountains or other uses, see: Jabal (disambiguation), Jabal.'' Djebel (1937–1958) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse, who won 15 of 22 races during 1939–1942 including the Prix d'Essai, 2000 Guineas and Prix de l'Arc de ...
in
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
on 26 November 1964. He was a student activist in the 1980s. He worked as a lawyer and was also part of the defence team of former Iraqi president
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
during his trial for crimes against humanity. He spoke out against a 2008 clampdown on miners, and was a noted political critic of
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (Tunisian Arabic: , ; 3 September 1936 – 19 September 2019), commonly known as Ben Ali or Ezzine, was a Tunisian politician who served as the second President of Tunisia from 1987 to 2011. In that year, during the Tun ...
, the strongman Tunisian leader in office for 23 years, whose 2011 self-exile to
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
was the first tangible result of the
Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...
uprisings. Belaid was also a poet, and one of his poems is dedicated to Lebanese intellectual Husayn Muruwwa, who was assassinated by Islamists in the late 1980s. Belaid was married and had two daughters. The family lived in a rented apartment.


Politics

Belaïd was the coordinator of the far-left
Democratic Patriots' Movement The Democratic Patriots' Unified Party (), formerly the Democratic Patriots' Movement, is a communist party in Tunisia. Established in 1981, the movement was only legalised in 2011 after the Tunisian Revolution. The movement primarily advocates ...
, which was part of a 12-member umbrella organisation called the Popular Front. He identified with
pan-Arabism Pan-Arabism () is a Pan-nationalism, pan-nationalist ideology that espouses the unification of all Arabs, Arab people in a single Nation state, nation-state, consisting of all Arab countries of West Asia and North Africa from the Atlantic O ...
and was active opponent of normalizing relations with
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
.Chokri Belaid, 1964–2013: Fierce opponent of Tunisia's Islamists
''
Ahram Online ''Al-Ahram'' (; ), founded on 5 August 1876, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second-oldest after '' Al-Waqa'i' al-Misriyya'' (''The Egyptian Events'', founded 1828). It is majority owned by the Egyptian governm ...
''. Originally published by ''
Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...
''. 2013-02-06.
and was a strong critic of the supporters of fundamentalist Islam, sometimes referred to as
Salafists The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a fundamentalist revival movement within Sunni Islam, originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name "''Salafiyya''" is a self-designation, claiming a retur ...
, whose confrontational tactics since the change of government in 2011 have prevented some plays and music concerts from being held in Tunisian cities. The Salafists also have been blamed for attacking the US Embassy in Tunisia in 2012. Belaid was succeeded by
Ziad Lakhdhar Ziad Lakhdhar is a Tunisian politician. He is the secretary-general of the Democratic Patriots' Movement (DPM) and a prominent leader of the Popular Front, a left-wing coalition of opposition parties and movements.Tunis Afrique Presse Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) () is a Tunisian news agency. History and profile The agency, based in Tunis, was founded on 1 January 1961. With a corps of 300 agents, including photographers, researchers and 220 journalists, and a network of corres ...
, Belaïd died in hospital. Belaid had reportedly received multiple death threats in the days prior to his death. The night before he was killed, Belaid said; "All those who oppose
Ennahda The Ennahda Movement (; ), also known as the Renaissance Party or simply known as Ennahda, is a self-defined Islamic democratic political party in Tunisia. Founded as the Movement of Islamic Tendency in 1981, Ennahda was inspired by the Egypti ...
become the targets of violence." Earlier that week, Belaïd said that the committees established out of the revolution were a "tool" used by the Islamists. Following news of his death, police used
tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the Mace (spray), early commercial self-defense spray, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the ey ...
to disperse thousands of people demonstrating in front of the
Interior ministry An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the ...
in Tunis. Other protests spontaneously occurred in cities throughout the country, including
Mezzouna Mezzouna (Arabic: المزونة) is a town and commune in the Sidi Bou Zid Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004, it had a population of 6,101.Gafsa Gafsa (; ; ') is the capital of Gafsa Governorate in Tunisia. With a population of 120,739, Gafsa is the ninth-largest Tunisian city and is 335 km from the country's capital, Tunis. Overview Gafsa is the capital of Gafsa Governorate, in ...
and
Sidi Bouzid Sidi Bouzid ( '), sometimes called ''Sidi Bou Zid'' or ''Sīdī Bū Zayd'', is a city in Tunisia and is the capital of Sidi Bouzid Governorate in the centre of the country. Following the suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid, it was the ...
, where tear gas was also used to disperse protesters. The interim
President of Tunisia The president of Tunisia, officially the president of the Republic of Tunisia (), is the executive head of state of Tunisia. The president exercises executive power with the assistance of a government headed by the Prime Minister of Tunisia, pr ...
Moncef Marzouki Mohamed Moncef Marzouki (; ''Muhammad al-Munṣif al-Marzūqī'', born 7 July 1945) is a Tunisian politician who served as the third president of Tunisia from 2011 to 2014. Through his career he has been a human rights activist, physician and pol ...
cut short an overseas trip to Cairo as a result of the protests and assassination.


Perpetrators

On 26 February, four radical Islamists were detained due to their alleged connections to the assassination of Belaid. The suspect in the murder was identified as Boubacar Hakim, a hardline Salafist, which was also carried out by Abū Sayyāf Kamāl Gafgāzī, Lutfī az-Zayn accompanied him, and Abū Zakariyyā Ahmad ar-Ruwaysī helped both in executing the operation. On 2 October, Chokri Belaid defence committee spokesman Tayeb Oqaili claimed that, according to official documents, Abdulhakim Belhadj was involved in the killings of both Chokri Belaid and
Mohamed Brahmi Mohamed Brahmi (; 15 May 1955 – 25 July 2013) was a Tunisian politician. Brahmi was the founder and former leader of the People's Movement, which, under his leadership, won two seats in the constituent election in 2011. Early life and caree ...
, pointing to links between the
Libyan Islamic Fighting Group The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), also known as ''Al-Jama'a al-Islamiyyah al-Muqatilah bi-Libya'' (), was an armed Islamist group. Militants participated in the 2011 Libyan Civil War as the Libyan Islamic Movement (''al-Harakat al-Islami ...
, Ansar al Sharia and the
Ennahda Movement The Ennahda Movement (; ), also known as the Renaissance Party or simply known as Ennahda, is a self-defined Islamic democratic political party in Tunisia. Founded as the Movement of Islamic Tendency in 1981, Ennahda was inspired by the Egypti ...
. The left-wing leader maintained that Belhadj apparently intended to carry out terrorist attacks in Tunisia, and trained the Ansar al-Sharia cell that killed the opposition politicians, all under close observation by Ennahda leaders
Rashid al-Ghannushi Rached Ghannouchi (; born 22 June 1941), also spelled Rachid al-Ghannouchi or Rached el-Ghannouchi, is a Tunisian politician, the co-founder of the Ennahdha Party and serving as its intellectual leader. He was born Rashad Khriji (). Ghannou ...
,
Hamadi Jebali Hamadi Jebali (, '; born 12 January 1949) is a Tunisian engineer, politician, and journalist who was Prime Minister of Tunisia from December 2011 to March 2013. He was the Secretary-General of the Ennahda Movement, a moderate Islamic party in Tun ...
and
Samir Dilou Samir Dilou is a Tunisian politician. He served as the Minister of human rights, transitional justice and government spokesperson under Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali.Ahmed LachhebSamir Dilou, ''Tunisia Live'', 15 August 2011Dan LittauerTunisia rej ...
, among others. A total of 23 suspects were charged in the assassination. On 27 March 2024, a Tunisian court sentenced four suspects to death for their role in the murder and sentenced two others to life imprisonment. Five suspects were acquitted, while the rest received prison terms of varying length.


Reactions

Prime Minister
Hamadi Jebali Hamadi Jebali (, '; born 12 January 1949) is a Tunisian engineer, politician, and journalist who was Prime Minister of Tunisia from December 2011 to March 2013. He was the Secretary-General of the Ennahda Movement, a moderate Islamic party in Tun ...
called the killing "a political assassination and the assassination of the Tunisian revolution." In a televised address, Jebali announced the formation of a
caretaker government A caretaker government, also known as a caretaker regime, is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it co ...
composed of technocrats, which would rule the country until a new election is held. The Islamist political party
Ennahda The Ennahda Movement (; ), also known as the Renaissance Party or simply known as Ennahda, is a self-defined Islamic democratic political party in Tunisia. Founded as the Movement of Islamic Tendency in 1981, Ennahda was inspired by the Egypti ...
issued a statement calling the attack a "heinous crime" that targeted the "security and stability of Tunisia". The premises of Ennahda in the central town of
Mezzouna Mezzouna (Arabic: المزونة) is a town and commune in the Sidi Bou Zid Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004, it had a population of 6,101.El Kef El Kef ( '), also known as ''Le Kef'', is a city in northwestern Tunisia. It serves as the capital of the Kef Governorate. El Kef is situated to the west of Tunis and some east of the border between Algeria and Tunisia. It has a population of ...
were torched by demonstrators and the party's office in
Gafsa Gafsa (; ; ') is the capital of Gafsa Governorate in Tunisia. With a population of 120,739, Gafsa is the ninth-largest Tunisian city and is 335 km from the country's capital, Tunis. Overview Gafsa is the capital of Gafsa Governorate, in ...
was ransacked. Four opposition parties, Belaid's own Popular Front bloc,
Nidaa Tounes Nidaa Tounes ( ', ; usually translated as "Call of Tunisia", "Call for Tunisia", or "Tunisia's Call") is a big tent secularist political party in Tunisia. After being founded in 2012, the party won a plurality of seats in the October 2014 p ...
, the Al Massar party, and the Republican Party, announced that they were pulling out of the national assembly and called for a
general strike A general strike is a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coalitions ...
. International reactions included: * – The ruling
Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ('' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar, Imam and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928. Al-Banna's teachings s ...
said that assassinations were a crime and must be stopped; while the National Salvation Front expressed its fear of similar political assassinations happening in Egypt. * – Foreign Minister
Guido Westerwelle Guido Westerwelle (; 27 December 1961 – 18 March 2016) was a German politician who served as foreign minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice-Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011, being the first openly gay perso ...
expressed his "horror" and "sadness." * – President
François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. Before his presidency, he was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (France), First Secretary of th ...
stated that "this murder robs Tunisia of one of its most courageous and free voices". * – The
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...
released a statement condemning the killing and calling it a "cowardly and barbaric act aimed at destabilising Tunisia's democratic transition." * – The spokesperson for the
State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
,
Victoria Nuland Victoria Jane Nuland (born July 1, 1961) is an American diplomat who served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2021 to 2024. A former member of the US Foreign Service, she served as Assistant Secretary of State for European an ...
, condemned the killing and called it an "outrageous and cowardly act." She also called for a "fair, transparent and professional investigation to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice consistent with Tunisian law and international norms". The assassination of Chokri Belaid prompted responses from the Tunisian intellectual community.


Funeral

Belaid's funeral service was held in
Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...
on 8 February. It was attended by at least a million people amid clashes between police and protesters His body was buried at
Jellaz cemetery Jellaz Cemetery ( ''Maqbara al-Jalāz''; also known as al-Jallaz and Cemetery Djalez) is a large hillside Muslim cemetery in Tunis, Tunisia, established in the thirteenth century. Located next to the bus station, the cemetery is the largest in the ...
. The following day en Nahda called for its supporters to gather in Tunis.


See also

*
Mohamed Brahmi Mohamed Brahmi (; 15 May 1955 – 25 July 2013) was a Tunisian politician. Brahmi was the founder and former leader of the People's Movement, which, under his leadership, won two seats in the constituent election in 2011. Early life and caree ...
* Nahed Hattar


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Belaid, Chokri 1964 births 2013 deaths Assassinated Tunisian politicians Critics of Islamism Deaths by firearm in Tunisia People from Jendouba Governorate People murdered in Tunisia Popular Front (Tunisia) politicians Tunisian Arab nationalists 20th-century Tunisian lawyers Tunisian critics of religions Tunisian socialists 2013 murders in Tunisia 21st-century Tunisian lawyers African politicians assassinated in the 2010s Politicians assassinated in 2013