Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: Difference between revisions

[[File:Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]  

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (born September 3, 1936) is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia Tunisian] political figure who was the second [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Tunisia President of Tunisia] from 1987 to 2011. Ben Ali was appointed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Tunisia Prime Minister] in October 1987, and he assumed the Presidency on 7 November 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba], who was declared incompetent^. Ben Ali was subsequently reelected with enormous majorities, each time exceeding 90% of the vote; the final reelection was on 25 October 2009.

On 14 January 2011, following a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_revolution month of protests] against his rule, he was forced to flee to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia Saudi Arabia] along with his wife [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le%C3%AFla_Ben_Ali Leïla Ben Ali] and their three children. The interim Tunisian government asked for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpol Interpol] to issue an international arrest warrant, charging him for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_laundering money laundering] and drug trafficking. A Tunisian court sentenced Ben Ali and his wife ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_absentia in absentia]'' to 35 years in prison on 20 June 2011 on charges of theft and unlawful possession of cash and jewellery^. In June 2012, a Tunisian court sentenced him ''in absentia'' to life imprisonment for inciting violence and murder.

Large photographs of Ben Ali were widespread in Tunisia. This example was at the Office of Merchant Navy and Ports building.Tunisia held its [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_general_election,_1994 first formally pluralistic legislative elections in 1994]: opposition parties polled 2.25% and gained 19 of 163 seats in Parliament. Ben Ali, the only presidential candidate, was re-elected with 100% of the votes from a 95% turnout.

In response to the protests, Ben Ali declared a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_emergency state of emergency], dissolved the government on 14 January 2011, and promised new legislative elections within six months. However, events moved quickly, and it appears the armed forces and key members of the legislature had lost confidence in Ben-Ali, and had decided to take steps of their own. With power slipping from his grasp, Ben Ali resigned the presidency at about 4:00 pm local time and delegated prime minister [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Ghannouchi Mohamed Ghannouchi] to act as head of state during his "temporary" absence. With the army surrounding the Presidential Palace in Tunis, Ben Ali and close members of his family hastily left and headed to Laouina airport (annexed to the civil airport of Tunis Carthage). The military allowed Ben Ali's plane to take off, immediately after which the Tunisian airspace was closed. The presidential plane headed first to France. But after the plane was denied landing rights on French territory, it directly flew to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeddah Jeddah], Saudi Arabia. Ben Ali and his family were accepted by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_of_Saudi_Arabia King Abdullah] to live there under the condition that he should keep out of politics. Ben Ali and his family are now living in exile in the Saudi city of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeddah Jeddah], the same city where former President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idi_Amin Idi Amin] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda Uganda] lived in exile until his death in 2003 after being removed from power on 1979 at end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugandan-Tanzanian_War Ugandan-Tanzanian War].

After Ben Ali fled Tunisia following the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_revolution Tunisian revolution], he and his wife were tried ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_absentia in absentia]'' for his suspected involvement in some of the country's largest businesses during his 23-year long reign. On 20 June 2011, Ben Ali and his wife were sentenced to 35 years in prison after being found guilty of theft and unlawful possession of cash and jewellery. The verdict also includes a penalty of 91 million [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_dinar Tunisian dinars] (approximately €50 million) that Ben Ali has to pay. This verdict was dismissed as a "charade" by some Tunisians dissatisfied with the trial and as a "joke" by Ben Ali's lawyer. The sentences will take immediate effect although Ben Ali and his wife are currently residing in Saudi Arabia, and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_government Saudi government] failed to respond to Tunisia's requests to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extradition extradite] them.

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[[Category:Military Villains]]

[[Category:Living Villains]]

[[Category:Old Villains]]

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[[Category:Imprisoned Villains]]