TUNISIA, - Former Tunisian President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Absentia for inciting murder and violence on Wednesday by the Tunisian military court. According to the Associated Press, this is the military court's first conviction for Ben Ali.
The sentenced was handed down after the court convicted the former leader for ordering police to shoot protestors in the town of Quardanine. The protestors were trying to prevent Ben Ali's nephew from fleeing the country. Four people were killed in the shootings.
The victims' families were awarded an amount ranging from $100,000 to 150,000. In addition, the court convicted a number of other officials with 10 years in prison, as reported by AP News.
Ben Ali is currently in Saudi Arabia with his wife. He fled to the Saudi Arabia in January 2011 and has been there since. Tunisian authorities are fighting for an extradition so that the ousted president can face charges, however authorities in Saudi Arabia have persistently resisted.
He has already been sentenced to 66 years in prison, in addition to the 20 years handed down today, for drug trafficking, corruption and illegal arms trade.
According the AP, a second military trial is underway over an uprising that left 2,147 injured and over 20 protestors dead.
Tunisia, which is responsible for triggering the pro-democratic protests in the Middle East i.e. the Arab Spring, has been witnessing a lot of violence and chaos recemtly, which is said to be caused by an "ultra-conservative Islamists" as BBC News refers to group. The group called the Salafists has denied any involvement.
