Tunisia Erupts in Anger After Suspected Drug Dealer Dies in Custody

On Thursday evening, violent clashes broke out in the "Ettadhamen" (Solidarity) neighborhood of the capital, Tunis, involving confrontations between angry protesters and Tunisian security forces over the killing of one individual.

Tunisian security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the "Ettadhamen" neighborhood following the death of a man arrested on suspicion of selling drugs. The day also saw clashes with police in at least two towns in the south of the country.

Protesters blocked roads in the mentioned neighborhood, burned rubber tires, and threw stones at the police. Security forces responded by firing tear gas while attempting to secure a National Guard center in the area.

Tunisian radio station "Mosaique FM" reported that a "drug dealer died inside the local hospital in the area after his health deteriorated due to swallowing a quantity of drugs he was carrying to prevent them from being seized during a security raid," according to security sources.

According to the radio station, "details of the incident indicate that security units in the Ettadhamen neighborhood raided the suspect's residence, and during the raid, the individual swallowed the narcotic substances he was carrying, according to initial data."

Sources clarified that "the deceased's health later deteriorated while he was at the security unit headquarters and during investigations in the presence of his lawyer, which necessitated his urgent transfer to Ettadhamen Hospital for necessary medical care, but he passed away there."

The Tunisian radio stated that "investigations have been opened to determine all circumstances surrounding the incident and the conditions around it, as well as to identify the causes of death."

For his part, the father of the deceased said in a video broadcast via social media platforms that his son was subjected to severe assault by security forces before passing away at the local hospital in the area, affirming that he "will sue everyone responsible for his death."