Whereas Tunisia gained its independence from France on March 20, 1956, with Habib Bourguiba serving as Prime Minister, before becoming Tunisia’s first President in 1957; Whereas President Bourguiba led Tunisia through independence and the ensuing 30 years, a period that included vast social reforms and restrictions on civil society and democratic participation; Whereas, in 1987, Prime Minister Zine El Abdine Ben Ali deposed President Bourguiba and named himself President of Tunisia, citing Bourguiba’s incompetence and failing health to justify his undemocratic actions; Whereas President Ben Ali was subsequently elected in 1989 and 1994 without genuine opposition, and was re-elected in 1999, 2004, and 2009 by implausibly high vote margins in election processes that were widely deemed as neither free nor fair; Whereas President Ben Ali’s rule was marred by gross human rights violations and a lack of democratic freedoms; Whereas, the 2003 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released by the Department of State on February 25, 2004, stated, referring to Tunisia— (1) Elections are regularly characterized by notable irregularities, including voter intimidation, and there is no secret ballot. ; (2) Security forces physically abused, intimidated, and harassed citizens who voiced public criticism of the Government. ; (3) The Government continued to impose significant restrictions on freedom of speech and the press. ; and (4) The Government remained intolerant of public criticism and used physical abuse, criminal investigations, the court system, arbitrary arrests, residential restrictions, and travel controls (including denial of passports) to discourage criticism by human rights and opposition activists. ; Whereas, on December 17, 2010, 26-year-old fruit and vegetable street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi lit himself on fire in desperate protest in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, an act that was largely seen as the beginning of the Arab Spring movement that spread throughout the region