Keyword: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

Facebook has become one of the foremost media in Tunisia, an alternative to controlled official information; it played an important a role in the 2010 uprising that led to the Arab Spring. But while it remains a tool for mobilising people, it is also now used for the more mundane and trivial, including trolling, rumours and rants. More disturbingly, Facebook has also been be turned against human rights activists, who are sometimes treated by the authorities in the same way as apologists for terrorism. Lilia Blaise reports.

© Thomas Cantaloube

In what has already been called the 'Jasmine Revolution', Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country Friday evening. The events on Friday were the culmination of three weeks of angry protests across the country against spiralling food prices, unemployment, corruption and human rights abuse. In the streets of Tunis, Mediapart's Thomas Cantaloube witnessed the last violent hours before Ben Ali was forced out after more than two decades of his iron rule.

Tunis lawyers © D.R.

Tunisia is witnessing the largest and most violent popular protest movement since President Ben Ali came to power 23 years ago. Thousands of Tunisian lawyers staged a national strike and demonstrations (photo) on January 6th, joining the revolts born from high youth unemployment, soaring inflation, and widespread corruption and human rights violations.