FRI 29 - 3 - 2024
 
Date: Jun 23, 2011
Source: The Daily Star
Ben Ali nephew sentenced to 15 years in absentia

TUNIS: A Tunisian court has sentenced the nephew of the former president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to 15 years in absentia, the state news agency said Wednesday, after a court issued a first sentence against Ben Ali this week.
TAP said Sofian Ben Ali was found guilty of financial corruption but did not give details or any information on his whereabouts.


Dozens of relatives of Ben Ali as well as ministers and advisers have been jailed since he and his wife fled to Saudi Arabia in the face of a popular uprising in January. But few have been tried until now, angering many Tunisians.
Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi were also sentenced in absentia Monday to 35 years in jail for illegal possession of large amounts of cash and jewellery.


A former interior minister, Ben Ali had been in power since 1987. Though he was credited by Western allies as an economic reformer, the former president increased the grip of police and security in Tunisian society.


The Tunisian protests set in motion a series of uprisings in Arab countries. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down in February, and leaders in Yemen, Syria and Libya are battling to overcome opposition.
Tunisia will hold elections in October for a constituent assembly to write a new constitution, after which new parliament and presidential elections will be held.



 
Readers Comments (0)
Add your comment

Enter the security code below*

 Can't read this? Try Another.
 
Related News
Tunisair workers to strike on Friday, union says
Tunisia PM designate to form technocratic govt without parties
Tunisians emerge from lockdown into mosques and cafes
Tunisians protest over jobs amid economic downturn
Hundreds of Tunisians blocked by virus on Libya border crossing
Related Articles
Crime, excessive punishment in Tunisia
How President Béji Caid Essebsi Helped Build Tunisia's Democracy
Can Tunisia’s democracy survive the turmoil?
Tunisian politics between crisis and normalization
A community approach to militants’ rehab in Tunisia
Copyright 2024 . All rights reserved