Go to a pro-Palestine demonstration in North Africa or the Middle East, and chances are you'll see a Hugo Chavez poster bobbing above the crowds. In Lebanon, the authorities have even named a street after him. Read more and see the photos...
Nicolas Sarkozy is on a three-day trip to Tunisia. A former Tunisian judge, suspended for having criticised his president and now under constant police watch, deplores the French head of state for turning a blind eye to the corruption and authoritarianism Ben Ali's "clan". Read more...
Mokhtar Yahyaoui is a former Tunisian judge. In 2001 he drafted a public letter to president Ben Ali condemning the lack of independence of Tunisian magistrates. A few days later, he was suspended and has since been living under police surveillance.