May 23
TUNISIA:
Tunisian prosecutor demands death penalty for Ben Ali
A Tunisian military prosecutor demanded on Wednesday that the death penalty be
imposed in absentia on ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali over his
alleged role in the deaths of protesters in the towns where the Arab Spring
began.
Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia as protests swept Tunisa on January 14, 2011,
has already been sentenced to decades in jail on charges ranging from
corruption to torture.
He has not so far been convicted of any charges that carry the death penalty,
which is rarely carried out in the North African country.
The state TAP news agency said the prosecutor in the western town of Kef also
called for maximum penalties to be imposed on all those charged in connection
with the deaths of protesters in the towns of Kasserine, Tala, Kairouan and
Tajrouine.
More than 300 people were killed and many more wounded during the uprising that
ousted Ben Ali and sparked the Arab Spring revolts across the region.
Two policemen have so far been sentenced for killing a protester but no senior
officials have yet been convicted over the deaths, causing much anger among
victims' families.
Tunisia's government has faced persistent criticism over its failure to
persuade Saudi Arabia to hand over Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi, a
former hairdresser whose lavish lifestyle and clique of wealthy relatives had
come to be seen by many Tunisians as symbols of Ben Ali's corrupt rule.
During his 23 years in office, members of Ben Ali's extended family are
believed to have accumulated fortunes, stashing money in foreign accounts,
while his security forces arrested anyone who dared to dissent.
Tunisia's justice minister told Reuters on Tuesday that he believed Ben Ali was
still benefiting from the hidden funds.
Defence lawyers at Wednesday's hearing dismissed calls for the death penalty as
having no basis in law, TAP said.
Former interior minister Rafik Belhaj Kacem is among those facing charges over
the deaths.
(source: Reuters)
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