Lotfi Zitoun

Lotfi Zitoun

Co-authored with Sana Ajmi

Lotfi Zitoun was born on August 13, 1964 in Tunis. Zitoun used to serve as an adviser to former Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali. Zitoun is also a prominent media figure and researcher specializing in political science and history. He is married to Monjia Abidi and is the father of three sons and two daughters. Zitoun speaks English, Arabic, French and Berber.

Zitoun attended Sidi Ali Primarily School and then Arts High School in Tunis. He was arrested several times (1986, 1987, 1989, and 1990) by the Tunisian police for his political affiliation with then-banned Ennahda party. These arrests prevented him from completing his academic studies in Tunisia.

Zitoun’s exile journey began in December 1990. He first fled to Algeria, where he stayed until March 1992. While in Algeria, Zitoun worked as a reporter for some local Arabic newspapers. However, as Tunisian authorities began pressuring the Algerian government to extradite him, he decided to move to Britain on March 22, 1992.

In Britain, Zitoun continued his journalistic work. After graduating with diploma in English language, he rejoined the University of East London to receive a bachelor’s degree in governance and political history. Zitoun then received a master’s degree in international relations theory from the University of Canterbury, Britain.

Zitoun served as an associate editor of the quarterly journal Marased Review. Since 2006, he served as the vice-editor and senior producer of London-based satellite TV channel Al-Hiwar. He has published several articles in periodicals and Arabic websites. Zitoun also participated in many political seminars in Britain and abroad, and gave many lectures in Tunisia after the uprisings last year. Zitoun is a member of the National Union of Journalists in Britain.

Zitoun served as Ennahda President’s Office Director from 1993 until 2006. He was a member of the media and political bureau of the Ennahda’s diaspora branch during the nineties. In 2000, he joined the party’s executive bureau and consultation council. He is one of the founding members of the Tunis Center for Prospective Studies in Tunisia.

Currently, Zitoun is the president of a still developing association called “Tunisian Martyrs for Charity and Developmental Projects.”