The United Nations human rights chief denounces the "persecution of political opponents" in Tunisia, urging the authorities to halt the wave of arrests and arbitrary detentions. "UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk calls on the Tunisian authorities to cease all forms of persecution of political opponents," spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan tells a press briefing in Geneva. Kheetan adds that the Tunisian authorities "must bring an end to the pattern of arrests, arbitrary detentions and imprisonment of dozens of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, activists and politicians". IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES