The Qatari embassy in Tunis on Sunday denied Doha's involvement in the assassination of a leading Tunisian opposition figure, Shems FM reported

The Qatari embassy issued a statement which denied the country' s involvement in the death of Chokri Belaid, Tunisia's leading secularist opposition figure, whose assassination on Feb. 6 has sparked a major political crisis.

Mongi Rahoui, an opposition representative in Tunisia's 217- member constituent assembly, earlier accused Qatar of involvement in Belaid's death.

In its statement, the Qatari embassy said it was "surprised" by the defamation campaign launched against the state of Qatar by several parties.

Faouzi Ben Mrad, former head of a team of lawyers investigating Belaid's death, died on Saturday from a heart attack near Tunis, according to official TAP press agency.

With Belaid's killers still at loose, an increasing number of Tunisian parties and activists are protesting against what they consider as the government's inertia in carrying out investigations