Middle East protests: Country by country

Libya

Pro-Gaddafi supporters out on the streets during a ceremony to mark a prophet's birth

Protests against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's rule have left an unknown number of people dead and injured since 16 February.

Benghazi, the country's second city, has seen the worst of the violence, with security forces reportedly using machine-guns and heavy weapons on crowds. By 20 February, doctors were saying more than 200 people had died.

Government blocking of the internet and curbs on foreign media make it difficult to establish a full picture of the scale of the unrest.

However, there have been no major disturbances in the capital Tripoli, where pro-Gaddafi supporters have been displaying their loyalty to the long-time leader.

Protests of any kind are prohibited in Libya but the latest unrest was triggered by the arrest of a lawyer who is an outspoken critic of the government.

Colonel Gaddafi is is the longest-serving ruler in Africa and the Middle East, and also one of the most autocratic.