Belaid's Widow Holds Ennahda 'Politically Accountable' for Slaying
In an exclusive interview with Ali Hashem, the widow of slain Tunisian opposition politician Chokri Belaid holds the Tunisian government "politically accountable" for his murder.
TUNIS, Tunisia — A monotone black dominates the scene at Chokri Belaid's humble flat in Tunis. Only two white elements exist here, his wife's hair and a picture of them together when he was the groom and she was the bride. Five bullets were enough to claim the Tunisian opposition figure's life and turn his wife, Basma Khalfaoui, to a widow.
She browses the pictures. Here Belaid is posing in front of the statue of Iraq's former dictator, Saddam Hussein, in Baghdad, another photograph shows him at the university, one taken in Paris with him holding his newborn daughter, Neyrouz, to his chest. "This is our picture the day we got married," she explained as she showed me the rest of the pictures, the invaluable treasure left to her after the assassination of her husband.
"I can't accuse anyone of doing the crime, but still, [the] Ennahda ruling coalition holds the responsibility. Let's say for now they are politically accountable," the lady said as she held back her tears from falling. Khalfaoui said her husband received several threats days before his death. "Chokri received many threat messages on his mobile, he took some measures; still, he was killed," she added. "Political assassination is something new in our country, there are only few precedents," she said. "Many came to the streets after Chokri's death to say no to political assassination."
"Ennahda's leader, Rachid Ghannouchi, threatened [that] he is taking us to court," she told me. "When some accused his movement, he didn’t trouble himself to deny [it]. This mentality is destroying the country, but we are going to the end with our request to uncover the truth. We are going to the end."
