Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

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Up for Auction: Ousted Dictator's Bling

Tunisia's Ben Ali must watch from afar as his stuff gets sold

(Newser) - It's one thing to lose your job as dictator in a popular uprising . But to see all your belongings—from your 40 luxury cars to your miniature golden sphinxes to your wife's treadmill—go to the highest bidder? That's the fate being suffered by former Tunisian leader...

An Arab Spring First: Tunisia Votes

But many parties face accusations of shady financing

(Newser) - With Tunisians voting today in the Middle East's first elections since the dawn of the Arab Spring, analysts and citizens alike are looking to the vote for a sense of where Tunisia and democracy in the region might be heading, reports the AP . Tunisia's 7.5 million voters...

Tunisia Fires Tear Gas at Protestors

'We need another revolution,' says one as reformers grow restless

(Newser) - Cops in Tunisia today fired tear gas and used truncheons to break up an assembly of protestors outside Interior Ministry headquarters in Tunis. The mob called for a shutdown of the caretaker government and vigorous prosecution of supporters of ex-president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, who was forced out of...

Tunisia Ex-Prez Gets Another 15 Years

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali convicted of smuggling guns, drugs, artifacts

(Newser) - Two weeks ago, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his wife were sentenced in absentia to 35 years in prison and ordered to pay a $65.5 million fine. Today, a court convicted the former Tunisian president of smuggling drugs, guns, and archaeological artifacts and sentenced him to 15.5...

Tunisia Ex-Prez Gets 35 Years, $65.6M Fine

Ben Ali and wife convicted in absentia

(Newser) - Tunisia took less than a day to convict its deposed former ruler, reports Reuters, sentencing Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his wife in absentia to 35 years in prison and ordering them to pay fines totaling $65.5 million. The convictions revolve around theft and unlawful possession of cash...

Trial of Tunisia's Former President Begins

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali faces charges of drug trafficking, abusing state funds

(Newser) - Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s trial begins today, making the former Tunisian president the first deposed Middle East leader to face trial in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings. Ben Ali, who will be tried in absentia, faces charges including abusing state funds, drug trafficking, and illegal arms...

Tunisian Slap That Triggered Arab Unrest 'Didn't Happen'

Family forgives policewoman for 'slap heard 'round the world'

(Newser) - The case against the Tunisian policewoman who inadvertently sparked a wave of protests across the Arab world has been dropped. Vegetable seller Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest after Fadia Hamdi allegedly slapped him in the face and confiscated his wares in December. President Zine El Abidine Ben...

Tunisia Appoints New PM
 Tunisia Appoints New PM 
Feb 28, 2011 5:46 AM CST

Tunisia Appoints New PM

al-Qaeda urges Tunisians, Egyptians to rebel against new leaders

(Newser) - Interim Tunisian President Foued Mebazaa has appointed a new prime minister following the resignation of Mohammed Ghannouchi, who bowed to protesters' demands and stepped down yesterday, the BBC reports. Former foreign minister Beji Caid-Essebsi will take Ghannouchi's place, although it's not clear whether the appointment will be enough to mollify...

Tunisian PM Announces Resignation

Mohamed Ghannouchi was close to former government

(Newser) - Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi has announced his resignation today on state television after a renewed outbreak of street violence in the North African country in the past few days. Ghannouchi, 69, has been a major irritant to Tunisians behind the so-called "Jasmine Revolution"—weeks of public upheaval...

Tunisia's Ousted Ben Ali in Coma

Exiled strongman in grave condition after suffering stroke, sources say

(Newser) - Warning: Losing power may be bad for your health. Exiled Tunisian strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been hospitalized in Saudi Arabia after suffering a stroke on Tuesday and, according to some sources, is in a coma, the Guardian reports. The 74-year-old was forced to flee Tunisia last month...

Tunisian Police Kill 2, Injure 17

Protest turned violent after police chief slapped a woman

(Newser) - Two people were killed by police gunfire and 17 were injured in northwestern Tunisia yesterday, after a local police chief allegedly slapped a woman during a demonstration, causing protesters to turn against the police. About 1,000 people threw stones and small firebombs at the local police station, burning two...

France Seizes Booted Tunisia's Leader's Jet

EU freezes Ben Ali's assets

(Newser) - Life isn't getting any easier for ousted Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. French authorities seized a private jet believed to belong to the Ben Ali family yesterday after three organizations launched a legal case accusing the strongman of corruption, the BBC reports. European Union foreign ministers have agreed...

Tunisia Issues Warrant for Ex-President's Arrest

Prisoners escape amidst rioting

(Newser) - Tunisia has issued an international arrest warrant for ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, accusing him of taking money out of the North African nation illegally. Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia after being driven from power this month by violent protests, is also being charged with illegally...

Tunisia Arrests Kin of Booted Prez

Corrupt in-laws caught trying to flee country

(Newser) - Tunisia has arrested 33 members of the country's despised former first family. The relatives of ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali were caught trying to flee the country with large amounts of valuables, reports the Financial Times . The clan of former first lady Leila Trabelsi had a huge amount...

Riots Break Out as Tunisia Ministers Quit

Government in crisis a day after it formed

(Newser) - Tunisia's day-old government was shaken by the resignation of four ministers today, undermining its hopes of quelling simmering unrest by sharing power with members of the opposition to the old regime. All four who resigned were opponents of deposed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's iron-fisted 23-year rule, and protesters...

As Unrest Continues, Tunisia Plans Unity Government

Army, presidential guard in gun battle

(Newser) - Tunisian leaders plan to announce a new unity government today following the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the Daily Telegraph reports. It will include ministers from the former leadership and opposition as well as independents, said an opposition leader. Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi will remain, with presidential...

US: WikiLeaks Cables Not the Cause of Tunisia Uprising

PJ Crowley says the Tunisian people knew about corruption 'long ago'

(Newser) - Blunt assessments of ex-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family, their lavish lifestyles, and graft contained in cables released by WikiLeaks didn't spark the uprising in Tunisia, said State Department spokesman PJ Crowley today. Many commentators have suggested that the cables contributed to the discontent, with some saying...

Tunisia May Be Turning Point in Arab World
Tunisia May Be Turning Point
in Arab World
analysis
Jan 15, 2011 12:58 PM CST

Tunisia May Be Turning Point in Arab World

Nation gets its third president in 24 hours

(Newser) - Tunisia got a new interim president today—parliamentary leader Fouad Mebazaa—who is technically the third leader in 24 hours, notes the Los Angeles Times . He takes over from the previous interim president, who briefly held power when longtime leader El Abidine Ben Ali fled the country in the face...

Arab Precedent: Tunisian Protests Oust President

He apparently flees country after weeks of unrest

(Newser) - Tunisia President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has resigned amid riots that have claimed at least 23 lives, the BBC reports. Ben Ali had dissolved the government and promised to quit in 2014 , but his delay tactic was apparently not enough for the disgruntled Tunisian populace, fed up after 23...

Tunisian President Dissolves Government Amid Riots

12 killed in protests last night

(Newser) - Amid huge riots over poverty, Tunisia’s president has decided to dismiss his government, the AP reports. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali intends to call legislative elections in 6 months, earlier than planned. Meanwhile, thousands of protesters calling for Ben Ali’s resignation continued to demonstrate in the capital,...

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