LONDON, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- The British government is committed to supporting Tunisia as it embarks on the path toward a democratic government, the British foreign secretary said.
Tunisians last weekend celebrated the first anniversary of the ouster of former Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, dethroned in a revolution that sparked the so-called Arab Spring. British Foreign Secretary William Hague, in a statement, said Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution "inspired millions of people" to demand more political freedoms in the region.
Tunisians since the revolution have won the praise of the international community for their peaceful political transition. Moncef Marzouki last year secured the presidency with 153 votes from the 217-member legislative assembly, controlled by moderate Islamist party Ennahda.
Hague noted that Tunisians have made "impressive" gains in the past 12 months.
"The U.K. will continue to support Tunisia's transition and the crucial work now under way to entrench freedoms and build accountable institutions," he said.
Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia, is on trial in absentia for his alleged role in the deaths of protesters during the revolution. The military tribunal is examining who ordered military snipers to shoot protesters during the unrest that left at least 250 dead.
