PARIS, June 13, 2012 (AFP)
PARIS, June 13, 2012 (AFP)
France said Wednesday it was concerned by the wave of violence in Tunisia, where 100 people have been injured in rioting and attacks after Islamists slashed several artworks deemed insulting to Islam.
“France is attached to the freedom of expression in all its forms, and in particular artistic expression, in Tunisia as everywhere in the world,” said foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero.
“We are equally attached to the pursuit of a democratic transition in accordance with Tunisians’ aspirations,” he added, saying France “expresses its concern” over the unrest.
The violence erupted after a group of men broke into an art gallery in the northern suburbs of Tunis, slashing several paintings and dismantling an installation.
The incident, and sharply contrasting reactions to it from moderates and extremists, has touched off a wave of violence as gangs including Islamist hardliners waged a spate of attacks on courts and other state buildings overnight Monday and rioters tried to force their way into the gallery.
Tunisia’s top authorities on Wednesday condemned both “extremist groups that threaten freedoms” and “attacks on religion” in a joint statement by the heads of state, the constituent assembly and the government.
Police have so far arrested 165 people, the interior minister said Tuesday.
