TUNIS - Dozens of Tunisian rights activists and journalists staged a small protest on Monday against a planned visit by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Tunisia is one of the few Arab states where demonstrations are allowed, following a 2011 uprising that toppled veteran ruler Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and ushered in freedom of speech and the press.

The Saudi crown prince is expected to arrive on Tuesday, part of a tour of several Arab countries on his first trip abroad since Khashoggi's murder, which has strained Saudi Arabia's ties with the West and battered his image abroad.

Some 13 Tunisian civic and rights groups, among them the journalists' union, had called for a protest at the central Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis, scene of the mass protests that toppled Ben Ali in 2011.

They waved pamphlets demanding "Freedom for Saudi women" or which read "Bin Salman, you are murderer Number 1".

"The Tunisian revolution... cannot agree to receive him (bin Salman) and allow him to clean himself (with his visit) of a murder," Soukaina Abdessamad of the journalists' union told reporters. "We will stage protests on Monday and Tuesday.”

Saudi Arabia has said the crown prince had no prior knowledge of the killing of Washington Post columnist at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul last month.

After offering numerous contradictory explanations, Riyadh said Khashoggi had been killed and his body dismembered when negotiations to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia failed.

Since the 2011 uprising that ended the rule of Ben Ali and triggered the Arab Spring protests that convulsed the region, Tunisia has become one of the few Arab countries where protests are permitted.</s>Tunisian activists have called for protests over the killing of Saudi Journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, when Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in Tunis on Tuesday.

The activists plan demonstrations in front of the Presidency in Carthage, during Prince Mohammed’s first trip abroad after he was accused of ordering the murder of the Saudi journalist in Istanbul.

Soukaina Abdessamad, Secretary General of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists said a country like Tunisia striving towards democracy, it is unacceptable to receive a “dubious Crown Prince”.

It is a danger to democratic transition. Because in a country like Tunisia, which wants to, which is moving towards democracy, which wants to build a democratic society. We cannot accept to receive or welcome a dubious Crown Prince.

“It is a danger to democratic transition. Because in a country like Tunisia, which wants to, which is moving towards democracy, which wants to build a democratic society. We cannot accept to receive or welcome a dubious Crown Prince.”

Prince Mohammed’s visit, which is part of a tour to several Arab countries, will mark the first time a member of the Saudi royal family has visited Tunisia in 7 years.</s>TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian rights groups on Monday will stage a protest against a visit of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, activists said.

Tunisia is one of the few Arab states where demonstrations are allowed, following a 2011 uprising that toppled the president and gave its once-staid media a new lease of life.

The Saudi crown prince is expected to arrive on Tuesday, part of a tour of several Arab countries on his first trip abroad since Khashoggi’s murder, which has strained Saudi Arabia’s ties with the West and battered his image abroad.

A total of 13 Tunisian civic and rights groups, among them the journalists’ union, will hold a protest in the afternoon at the central Habib Bourguiba avenue in Tunis, the venue of mass protests against the rule of Zine el-Abidine Ben Al in 2011.

“The Tunisian revolution.. cannot accept to receive him (bin Salman) and allow himself to clean himself (with his visit) of a murder,” said Soukaina Abdessamad of the journalist’ union told reporters. “We will stage protests on Monday and Tuesday.”

Saudi Arabia has said the crown prince had no prior

knowledge of the killing of the Washington Post columnist at

said Khashoggi had been killed and his body dismembered when negotiations to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia failed.

Since the 2011 uprising that ended the rule of Ben Ali and triggered the Arab Spring protests that convulsed the region, Tunisia has become one of the few Arab countries where protests are permitted.</s>Hundreds of Tunisian protesters marched through the capital Tunis in opposition to a planned visit Tuesday by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urging justice over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The demonstrators shouted "Go away assassin!" and held placards with slogans including "The people want Bin Salman to be judged", "No to the killer of Yemeni children" and "You're not welcome".

It was the second protest in as many days against the de facto Saudi ruler, who was expected to fly into Tunis from Egypt on Tuesday for talks with President Beji Caid Essebsi as part of a regional tour.

It comes as Khashoggi's murder leads to increased scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen's devastating war.

"It's inhuman to see an Arab leader killing his brothers in Yemen, and the murder of a journalist is the icing on the cake," said Basma Rezgui, a teacher brandishing a red-stained saw.

Saudi Arabia has faced intense global criticism over the killing of insider-turned-critic Khashoggi in its Istanbul consulate on October 2.

He was reportedly dismembered in what Saudi Arabia said was a "rogue" operation, but CIA analysis leaked to the US media pointed the finger at Prince Mohammed.

His visit will be the first by a Saudi royal to Tunisia since the 2011 revolution deposed longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi crown prince has also held talks in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt on his first foreign tour since the Khashoggi affair erupted.

In Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised the "unshakable strategic alliance between Egypt and Saudi Arabia" during Prince Mohammed's visit there, the state daily Al-Ahram reported Tuesday.

"The stability and security of Saudi Arabia is an integral part of Egypt's security," Sisi was quoted as saying.</s>TUNIS (Reuters) - Hundreds of Tunisians protested on Tuesday against a visit by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, denouncing the top Saudi royal as a murderer in the second straight day of demonstrations condemning the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, heir to the throne of the world’s top oil exporter, departed from Cairo on Tuesday and was expected in Tunis in the late afternoon on a tour of Arab states that has also taken him to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

The killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and acritic of the crown prince, at Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbulsix weeks ago has strained Saudi Arabia’s ties with the West andbattered Prince Mohammed’s image abroad.

Saudi Arabia has said the prince had no prior knowledge ofthe murder. After offering numerous contradictory explanations,Riyadh said last month that Khashoggi had been killed and hisbody dismembered when negotiations to persuade him to return toSaudi Arabia failed.

Hundreds of protesters marched through the central Habib Bourguiba avenue in Tunis, scene of the mass protests that toppled Ben Ali in 2011.

They chanted “the murderer is not welcome in Tunisia” and “Shame on Tunisia’s rulers” for receiving bin Salman.

Journalists put up a huge banner at their union showing the prince with a saw, which Turkish sources have said was used to dismember Khashoggi in Istanbul. Dozens of Tunisian rights activists and journalists staged a smaller protest on Monday.

Last week Nourredine Ben Ticha, adviser to Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi, said the truth about the killing of the Saudi journalist needed to be established but the incident should not be used to harm the kingdom’s stability.

Tunisia and Saudi Arabia have very different political systems. The kingdom is an absolute monarchy while the North African country has undergone a democratic transition since 2011.

Tunisia has been holding free elections since then and agreed in 2014 on a constitution guaranteeing fundamental rights such as freedom of speech.</s>TUNIS (Reuters) - Hundreds of Tunisians protested on Tuesday against a visit by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, denouncing the kingdom’s de facto ruler as a murderer in a second straight day of demonstrations condemning the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, heir to the throne of the world’s top oil exporter, left Cairo on Tuesday and was expected in Tunis in late afternoon on a tour that has also taken him to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

The killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and acritic of the crown prince, at Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul six weeks ago has strained Saudi Arabia’s ties with the West and battered Prince Mohammed’s image abroad.

Saudi Arabia has said the prince had no prior knowledge of the murder. After offering numerous contradictory explanations, Riyadh said last month that Khashoggi had been killed and his body dismembered when negotiations to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia failed.

Hundreds of protesters marched through the central Habib Bourguiba avenue in Tunis, scene of the mass protests that toppled Ben Ali in 2011.

They chanted “the murderer is not welcome in Tunisia” and “Shame on Tunisia’s rulers” for receiving bin Salman.

Protesters also called for an end to the Saudi-led military campaign in neighboring Yemen, which was launched by Prince Mohammed in his role as defense minister in 2015.

Journalists put up a huge banner at their union showing the prince with a saw, which Turkish sources have said was used to dismember Khashoggi in Istanbul. It read: “No to the pollution of the Tunisian revolution.”

Dozens of Tunisian rights activists and journalists staged a similar protest on Monday.

In an apparent attempt to avoid embarrassing the prince, the presidency only invited photographers to cover his visit. It will not hold a news conference, a usual event at top visits.

Last week Nourredine Ben Ticha, adviser to Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi, said the truth about the killing of the Saudi journalist needed to be established but the incident should not be used to harm the kingdom’s stability.

Tunisia and Saudi Arabia are very different political systems. The kingdom is an absolute monarchy while Tunisia has undergone a democratic transition since 2011.

The north African country has been holding free elections since then and agreed in 2014 on a constitution guaranteeing fundamental rights such as freedom of speech.

Tunisia was a strong Saudi ally under Ben Ali but ties have since been strained at times. The kingdom granted exile to Ben Ali who flew to Jeddah on the Red Sea after his ousting, resisting calls by some Tunisian parties to hand him over.

Another irritant is that moderate Islamists have been sharing power with secularists in Tunisia since 2011. Some critics have likened the Tunisian Ennahda party to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Saudi Arabia.

In contrast, Tunisia has since 2011 expanded cooperation with Qatar, with which Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states severed trade and transport ties in June 2017. The four accused Doha of supporting terrorism and Iran — charges Doha denies.

Tunisia also has strong ties with Turkey, whose relations with Saudi Arabia have been strained by the Khashoggi killing.

The prince is expected to fly on to a G20 summit in Argentina at the end of his Tunisia visit.</s>TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is encountering something in Tunisia that he doesn’t see often: public anger. Amid international concern about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, some 200…

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is encountering something in Tunisia that he doesn’t see often: public anger.

Amid international concern about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, some 200 protesters gathered in central Tunis on Monday night to protest the prince’s Tuesday arrival for talks with the Tunisian president.

A banner showing a doctored image of the prince holding a bone saw hung on the headquarters of the Tunisian journalists union. Turkish officials say Khashoggi’s body was dismembered in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul last month.

A youth activist group that criticizes Saudi limits on women’s rights planned another protest Tuesday.

Prince Mohammed is not exposed to this kind of protest back home, especially as he’s engaged in a crackdown targeting business leaders, human rights activists and other royals.

Traveling abroad for the first time since the killing, the crown prince is visiting allies in the Middle East before heading to a Group of 20 summit in Argentina this week, where he may face questions about the gruesome slaying.

On his tour’s first stop, in the United Arab Emirates, the Saudi prince was embraced on the tarmac by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, a close ally. He also went to neighboring Bahrain, an island nation that functions as a vassal state to Saudi Arabia.

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi’s office said Tunisia denounces the journalist’s killing and wants a full investigation, but doesn’t want it to be used to destabilize Saudi Arabia. Asked about the prince’s visit, Tunisian government minister Selma Elloumi said he is “welcome” in Tunisia and stressed “historical and fraternal” relations between the countries.

But many Tunisians are angry over the killing and suspicions of the prince’s involvement.

“He is coming to this country to dirty it, and acquire a false legitimacy,” said Tahar Yahya, of the Tunisian Order of Lawyers. “We don’t want the money of a regime whose hands are stained with blood.” His group tried to seek a court order blocking the prince’s visit.

The Tunisian journalists’ union sent a letter to the president calling it an “attack on the principles” of the 2011 revolution that brought democracy and freedom of expression to Tunisia.

Saudi Arabia offered refugee to the autocratic ruler that Tunisians overthrew in 2011, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and democracy activists have denounced Riyadh’s refusal to extradite him.

A dozen Tunisian non-governmental organizations issued a joint statement saying the visit is aimed at cleaning up Prince Mohammed’s image after the Khashoggi death, and denounced “flagrant violations of human rights and repressive practices against freedom of speech” in Saudi Arabia.

The Tunisian journalists’ union also filed a legal complaint Monday against the prince for alleged crimes against humanity in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting Shiite rebels. It’s unclear whether Tunisian authorities will take action on the complaint.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>TUNIS (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Tunisia on Tuesday, a Tunisian presidency source said.

Hundreds of Tunisians have been staging the first protests of the Arab world against him, denouncing the kingdom’s de facto ruler as a murderer involved in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.</s>Hundreds of Tunisian protesters marched through the capital Tunis in opposition to a planned visit Tuesday by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urging justice over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The demonstrators shouted 'Go away assassin!' and held placards with slogans including 'The people want Bin Salman to be judged', 'No to the killer of Yemeni children' and 'You're not welcome'.

It was the second protest in as many days against the de facto Saudi ruler, who was expected to fly into Tunis from Egypt on Tuesday for talks with President Beji Caid Essebsi as part of a regional tour.

It comes as Khashoggi's murder leads to increased scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen's devastating war.

'It's inhuman to see an Arab leader killing his brothers in Yemen, and the murder of a journalist is the icing on the cake,' said Basma Rezgui, a teacher brandishing a red-stained saw.

Saudi Arabia has faced intense global criticism over the killing of insider-turned-critic Khashoggi in its Istanbul consulate on October 2.

Khashoggi's remains have not yet been discovered. He was reportedly dismembered in what Saudi Arabia said was a 'rogue' operation, but CIA analysis leaked to the US media pointed the finger at Prince Mohammed.

Despite this, US President Donald Trump has said he will not punish the Saudis for the murder of the Washington Post columnist.

Trump said last week in a statement that drew both domestic and international criticism: 'The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region.'

The crown prince's visit will be the first by a Saudi royal to Tunisia since the 2011 revolution deposed longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi crown prince has also held talks in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt on his first foreign tour since the Khashoggi affair erupted.

In Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised the 'unshakable strategic alliance between Egypt and Saudi Arabia' during Prince Mohammed's visit there, the state daily Al-Ahram reported Tuesday.

'The stability and security of Saudi Arabia is an integral part of Egypt's security,' Sisi was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) wrote to a federal prosecutor arguing that the Argentinian courts should prosecute the crown prince under Argentinian law when he arrives there later this week.

The G20 conference gets underway in three days time in Buenos Aires, and Argentina is reportedly considering charging Mohammed bin Salman with war crimes.

The writ issued by HRW to a federal prosecutor cites the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and alleged incidents in Yemen war, but it is unclear whether there is enough evidence to charge him at this moment in time.</s>CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's crown prince was due to arrive in Egypt on Monday for a two-day visit, state news agency MENA reported, part of his first trip abroad since the murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is due to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi "dealing with bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries ... as well as some political files of shared interest", MENA said.

Prince Mohammed has visited the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain since Thursday. He is expected to travel to Tunisia on Tuesday.

Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul at the beginning of October drew global condemnation. Saudi Arabia has said the crown prince had no prior knowledge of the killing of the Washington Post columnist at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul last month.
Human rights activists in Tunisia stage protests against a planned visit by Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the killing of Saudi Arabia journalist Jamal Khashoggi.