Tunisian blogger arrested 'for drinking in Ramadan'

Tunisian blogger Sofiane Shurabi, a scathing critic of deposed president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, was arrested on Sunday for drinking alcohol in public during Ramadan with two friends, police and a lawyer said.

Lawyer Anis Ezzine told AFP that Shurabi and a journalist friend were arrested on the beach at El Mansoura in the northeast on Sunday morning for "being drunk in a public place, disturbance of the peace and unacceptable behaviour."

Interior ministry spokesman Khaled Tarouch said a young woman was arrested with them and that all three had admitted the charges. Drinking alcohol in public is severely frowned upon during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

"They admitted it," Tarouch told the radio station Express-FM.

"After consultation with the ministry, the three were detained for unacceptable behaviour and drinking alcohol in public." (...)