Tunisia: 140 accused of recent violence

The Tunisian interior ministry said on Monday it arrested over140 people in connection with violence and vandalism that occurred in the country June 11 and 12 against an art exhibition considered by Salafist groups as "offensive to Islamic values". Most of those detained were involved with Tunisia's resurgent Salafist movement. Khalid Troch, a spokesman for the interior ministry, told state television: “The arrested persons were charged for the attacks on several security and government headquarters." Tunisian authorities announced late last week that it arrested more than 200 people for their alleged involvement in the violence and destruction, before they released 70 of them. An advisor to the Tunisian minister of justice, Mohammed Al-Sahy, declared that those involved in the events were referred to the public prosecutor to be integorrated about the criminal and "terrorist" acts they were charged with. Troch explained that the interior ministry suspended the imam of Jendouba governorate's mosque on charges of inciting violence against security forces. The imam of Alrahma Mosque in Jendouba had called during  as seromon on June 15 to kill the security officers, reportedly saying "Sons of the police officers should become orphans." An interior ministry spokesman said the imam "would face justice". The incident occurred two days after the Tunisian ministry of endowments prevented the imam of Zetouna mosque from leading prayers after his call to "kill the artists who participated in displaying the paintings in the ‘Art Spring’ festival in La Marsa". The festival led to the breakout of serious violence in a number of governorates in Tunisia, where Salafists the paintings on display were offensive to the holy teachings of Islam.