Tunisia state news agency reports that 800 inmates escaped from two facilities in Tunisia after setting fires. The first break involved 511 prisoners in Kasserine and the second involved 300 in a Gafsa prison, where personnel were on strike. Following the Jan. 14 uprising in Tunisia which resulted in the ouster of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, there was a prison break involving 11,000 people. Thus far the Associated Press is chalking up the prison break to the general "social unrest" in the country fueled by "unemployment, corruption and repression." The Tunisian news agency says police are fanning out to apprehend the fugitives and have recaptured 35 so far.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at jhudson at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
John Hudson