Tunisia leader accuses French critics of meddling

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian President Zine El Abine Ben Ali on Thursday attacked "foreign interference" in what appeared to be a response to French criticism of his country's human rights record.

Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told a French radio station on Tuesday he was "disappointed" with the arrest of a journalist in Tunisia.

The Tunisian authorities have arrested journalist Taoufik Ben Brik, a virulent critic of Ben Ali.

"Such interference goes beyond the violation of the sovereignty of our country as is it affects the sovereignty of the Arab Magreb Union and the African Union to which we belong," Ben Ali said in a speech to the parliament.

Ben Ali accused Ben Brik and other dissidents of hiding criminal acts under the cover of human rights.

The Tunis government insists Ben Brik, who will go on trial next week, was detained last week after a woman complained he had beaten her. But rights groups say the authorities trumped up the case to punish him for publishing articles critical of Ben Ali's policy.

"We have submitted this issue (of foreign interference) to the presidents of theses two organizations (Maghreb and African Unions) in order to adopt the necessary position and protest against these abuses," Ben Ali added.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is chairing both the 53-member African Union and the Arab Maghreb Union which groups Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Mauritania and Tunisia.

It is the first time in more than 50 years that a Tunisian leader raises the issue of complaining about French critics of his human rights record to foreign bodies.

France is the main source of trade and investment for Tunisia and an ally in the fight against radical Islamism, which is seen by the Tunis government as the main threat to the stability of the North African country. (Reporting by Tarek Amara; editing by Ralph Boulton)