Tunisian blogger interrogated

Reinvigorated after its meticulously orchestrated election victory, the Ben Ali regime in Tunisia is hard at work again.

Fatma Riahi, a 34-year-old blogger and drama teacher from Monastir, was detained last week for interrogation – along with her computer. She has since been released following a Facebook campaign and at present it's unclear if she will face charges. Her blog and her personal Facebook page have been deleted.

It's thought the authorities were trying to discover if Fatma has any connection with the cartoonist "Z" whose political satire on theDEBATunisie blog (see below) has enraged the regime.

But it looks as if they are no closer to tracking down the culprit. While Fatma was detained, "Z" posted a cheeky cartoon saying "I am not Fatma. We are all Fatma."
   

"After the electoral comedy - the feast of Halloween." A recent cartoon by "Z".

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 9 November 2009.