Tunisia: Offices and Archives of Tunis II Court of First Instance Set Ablaze

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Clouds of black smoke hover over the heads of Tunisian security forces dispatched to the scene of violent protests, reportedly sparked by an art exhibition which "undermines Islam".

Tunis — Public Prosecutor to the Tunis II Court of First Instance at the Essijoumi neighbourhood, Amor Ben Mansour, said on Tuesday that last night a group of criminals raided, wrecked and set fire to the premises of the court.

The criminals set ablaze the offices of the public prosecutor, those of the deputy prosecutors and magistrates, stole their robes and destroyed and burnt several other offices, Court Room n°2 and the archives.

The public prosecutor, in a statement to TAP news agency, refused to give any information about the perpetrators of this attack and their political affiliation.

He paid tribute to the inhabitants of the Sidi Hassine district who tried to stop the assailants and protect the court from destruction.

A security source specified that on Monday, at about 09:40 p.m., a phone call made it known to the Sidi Hassine security services that the court had been attacked and set to fire.

A security unit headed to the scene and clashes broke out with the assailants who were armed with sabres, cudgels and Molotov cocktails. The police countered, throwing at them tear-gas grenades, the same source said, adding that the clashes went on till dawn.

The criminal gang put fire to the firefighters' truck, damaged two police cars and wounded five policemen.

"The police arrested ten assailants, one of whom was caught inside the court," the same source specified.

The attackers included Salafists and habitual criminals, the same source specified, adding that the El-Gorjani judicial police division is proceeding with the interrogations.

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