Video: Tunisian politician's assassination prompts outpouring of grief and anger His family said Belaid regularly received death threats - the most recent on Tuesday - but had refused to limit his high-profile activities. The precise motive behind his killing, however, is currently unclear. Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Tarrouch called the assassination a "terrorist act" and said the politician had been shot point-blank several times. Thousands of people quickly gathered in the heart of the capital to protest in front of the Interior Ministry, holding the government responsible for the slaying. Tunisia's Islamist-led government is currently in negotiations with opposition parties to reshuffle the Cabinet and possibly expand the ruling coalition. Weeks of talks have yielded nothing, however, as the parties seem unable to reach an agreement over redistributing power.