TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A Tunis court has convicted a nephew of the wife of Tunisia's former president for writing more than €300 million ($399 million) in bad checks and sentenced him to 18 years in prison.
The official TAP news agency said that Imed Trabelsi was convicted Friday and immediately sentenced. He is already serving a 15-year sentence for similar offenses and a four-year term for using drugs.

Trabelsi is viewed as the favorite nephew of former first lady Leila Trabelsi — who fled into exile with former strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on Jan. 14. The regime change after a month of nationwide protests triggered the Arab Spring.
Imed Trabelsi has been on a hunger strike since Nov. 8 to protest what he claims are unfair trials.