Ali Laarayedh

Ali Laarayedh
علي العريّض
Laarayedh in 2014
Prime Minister of Tunisia
In office
14 March 2013 – 29 January 2014
PresidentMoncef Marzouki
Preceded byHamadi Jebali
Succeeded byMehdi Jomaa
Minister of the Interior
In office
24 December 2011 – 14 March 2013
Prime MinisterHamadi Jebali
Preceded byHabib Essid
Succeeded byLotfi Ben Jeddou
Personal details
Born (1955-08-15) 15 August 1955 (age 69)
Medenine, Tunisia
Political partyEnnahda Movement
SpouseWidad Larayedh
Children3

Ali Laarayedh (Tunisian Arabic: علي العريّض, ʿAlī el-ʿArayiḍ; born 15 August 1955) is a Tunisian politician who was Prime Minister of Tunisia from 2013 to 2014. Previously he served in the government as the Minister of the Interior from 2011[1][2][3] to 2013. Following the resignation of Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, Laarayedh was designated as prime minister in February 2013. He is a member of the Ennahda Movement.

Laarayedh resigned on 9 January 2014.[4]

Early life

Laarayedh was born in Medenine in 1955.[2][5]

Political activism

Laarayedh was the spokesperson for the Ennahda Movement from 1981 until his arrest in 1990. After he was harassed by the police under President Habib Bourguiba, he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison under President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, during which time he suffered torture. He was, among other techniques, threatened with HIV transfusion. His wife, Wided Lagha, was sexually abused and videotaped by officials from the Ministry of Interior.[2] After being detained in September 2022, Laarayedh was arrested in December 2022 on accusations alongside others of facilitating the departure of Tunisians to fight with armed rebel groups in the Syrian conflict.[6]

Career

On 20 December 2011, after President Ben Ali was deposed, he joined the Jebali Cabinet as Minister of the Interior.[3][7] He vowed to support peace in Tunisia, rejecting religious extremism, tribalism or regionalism.[7] On 22 February 2013, Laarayedh was appointed prime minister after Hamadi Jebali resigned from office.[5]

Personal life

Laarayedh is married and has three children.[3] His wife is a medical technician.[8]

References

  1. ^ CIA World Leaders Archived 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b c "Ali Larayedh". Tunisia Live. 17 December 2011. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Biographie de M. Ali Laaridh, nouveau ministre de l'interieur". Agence Tunis Afrique Presse. 24 December 2011. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012.
  4. ^ "Tunisia's Islamist PM steps down as unrest mounts". Al Arabiya. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  5. ^ a b Samti, Farah (22 February 2013). "Ali Laarayedh Tunisia's New Prime Minister". Tunisia Alive. Archived from the original on 3 September 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  6. ^ "Tunisia judge orders arrest of former prime minister". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b Leaders
  8. ^ MacFarquhar, Neil (25 January 2013). "Leading the Tunisian Agency That Once Jailed Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of the Interior
2011–2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head of Government of Tunisia
2013–2014 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Secretary General of the Ennahda Movement
2013–present 		Incumbent