a Tunisian court will issue on May 3 its verdict in a blasphemy...

a Tunisian court will issue on May 3 its verdict in a blasphemy trial against Nessma TV over its broadcast of the award-winning film "Persepolis", which has prompted calls by Salafi Islamists for the station chief to be put to death.
The trial of Nabil Karoui, who faces charges of violating sacred values and disturbing public order by showing the animated movie, resumed amid tight security.
Dozens of conservative Salafi Islamists gathered outside the courthouse, some waving black flags inscribed with Islamic verses and placards calling for Karoui's execution.
The trial has pit the religious right against Tunisia's secularist elite, which has denounced the trial as an attack on free expression and accused Salafis of seeking to turn back the clock in a Mediterranean nation known for its moderation.
"Free expression is on trial in Tunisia after the revolution and this poses a danger to Tunisians who call for the right to express themselves without permission from religious leaders," Karoui told reporters.
Tunisian prosecutors launched their inquiry after members of the public filed complaints over Nessma's airing of the film.
Prosecution lawyers argued that there should be limits to freedom of expression and that the airing of the film was an attack on religious sensibilities.
The charges against Karoui carry a three-year jail term but observers said it was unlikely he would be incarcerated as the case appeared weak and a tough sentence would stir controversy in Tunisia, where political tensions are running high.