JURIST - Paper Chase: Tunisia military court sentences former president to 20 years

[JURIST] A Tunisian military court on Wednesday convicted former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] in absentia on charges of inciting violence and murder in connection with the death of four protesters in January 2011 and sentenced him to 20 years. Ben Ali has already been sentenced to over 55 years in prison on other charges. A military prosecutor is also seeking the death penalty [AFP report] for the former president in another case relating to the deaths of 22 other protesters. Ben Ali has been in exile in Saudi Arabia since he fled Tunisia in January 2011. Tunisian authorities have asked the Saudi government to him over, but the government did not respond. Ben Ali has denied [JURIST report] the numerous charges against him.

Ben Ali has also been sentenced to five years for torturing military officers over an alleged coup plot,15 years [JURIST reports] on drug and gun charges and another 35 years [Reuters report] on theft and unlawful possession of jewelry charges. Ben Ali fled Tunisia to Saudi Arabia in January 2011 during protests against his 23-year autocratic rule in which his family amassed substantial wealth [Reuters report] that many Tunisians say was at their expense. Ben Ali has indicated that he was "duped" into leaving [AFP report] the capital Tunis, according to a statement released through his lawyer. He said that he was trying to get his family out of the country after assassination threats and that the plane left him in Saudi Arabia despite orders to wait for him. Justice Minister Lazhar Karoui Chebbi announced in April 2011 that Ben Ali had been charged with 18 offenses [JURIST report].