As the questions and outrage over Belaid's death continue, many in the country will be observing a national day of mourning called Friday by union leaders.
On Saturday, the Bahrain state-run news agency announced three days of mourningin that country and ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff there and at its embassies abroad.
The stars are the leaders who have decided not to get stuck inmourning the demise of their former professions, but to be the deciders who say what comes next.
Not only have his colleagues, at the MRC and in the scientific community lost a great co-worker and friend, but Britain and the world will bemourning the loss of one of the 20th Century's scientific giants.