Tunisia sentences 4 to death over pivotal 2013 assassination

By BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA and SAM METZ
Associated Press

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A public prosecutor in Tunisia says four people have been sentenced to death and two to life in prison for the murder of a left-wing politician more than a decade ago. The assassination of Chokri Belaid, the leader of the Popular Front coalition, in February 2013 prompted mass protests and helped lead to the resignation of the then-prime minister. Belaid earned a following for his forceful criticisms of Ennahda, the Islamist party that rose to power after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali became the first dictator toppled in the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. His supporters blamed the party for taking an overly accommodating approach toward extremists after his assassination.