Several days after opening the investigation, the Tunisian minister of justice, Lazhar Karoui Chebbi, announced that the interim government had issued an international arrest warrant for Ben Ali and several members of his family. As head of the Democratic Constitutional Rally (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Démocratique), he won reelection in 1994, 1999, 2004, and 2009, each time by an overwhelming margin. voici une séquence qui prouve que BEN ALI et sa famille ne sont pa des voleur You can sign up to receive it directly here. Many Tunisians, meanwhile, liked to joke in private that they were stuck with their long-term president "for life.". Leila Trabelsi reportedly once spent €30,000 ($33,000) on a Dior coat in Paris. At the beginning of his rule, Ben Ali did, in fact, ease laws restricting the press and released many political prisoners who had been imprisoned under the former regime. Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi has died after being hospitalized with a severe illness. She was a member of the committees drafting the post-revolution constitution, enshrining gender equality in Tunisia's future. On January 13 he acknowledged popular dissatisfaction with his administration by promising to step down as president at the end of his term in 2014. In a television address on January 10, 2011, he said that "these people have attacked government buildings, state institutions and innocent citizens — they are criminals and we cannot tolerate this." He served as the director of Tunisia's military security department from 1964 to 1974, and established close links with the CIA. In June 2012 a military court convicted Ben Ali in absentia and gave him a life sentence for his role in the killing of protesters in southern and central Tunisia, where protests had begun in 2010. At an early age, he joined the anti-colonial resistance movement under the leadership of Habib Bourguiba. Tunisia's president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali has fled his country after weeks of mass protests culminated in a victory for people power over one of the Arab world's most repressive regimes. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zine-al-Abidine-Ben-Ali, Globalsecurity.org - Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Ben Ali, now in charge, announced Tunisia's constitution would be reformed and civil liberties granted. The Confiscation Commission in Tunisia estimates that the total value of these assets combined – the total worth of the Ben Ali clan’s belongings – was approximately $13 … Rest of World News: TUNIS: Ten years since an uprising toppled Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, his in-laws, who ran a mafia-like empire that once pocketed a fi. But the protesters refused to be intimidated. Ben Ali was born into a modest family in the east-central town of Hammam-Sousse on 3 September, 1936 when Tunisia was still a French protectorate. On January 13, 2011, Ben Ali finally agreed to negotiate, indicating he might introduce reforms: "I have heard your political demands, that is why I promise unfettered press freedom and the internet will no longer be censored." Dior then sent the bill to the Tunisian embassy, which never paid up. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Ben Ali was expected to favour a somewhat less secular government than Bourguiba’s, with a more moderate approach toward religious fundamentalists. Privacy Policy | Ben Ali also announced he would not run for the presidency again. In 1985, he was appointed minister of national security. It was the president’s clan and his second wife Leila Trabelsi who benefited the most from the country's privatization wave, however. Got an opinion about the stories making headlines? He then returned to Tunisia to become head of national security, and in 1980 he became ambassador to Poland. From 1964 to 1974 he was head of Tunisian military security, a post that brought him into top government circles. Authorities had confiscated his wares, and Bouazizi was at his wit's end. In late December 2010, protests against poverty, unemployment, and political repression erupted in Tunisia, with many of the demonstrators demanding that Ben Ali resign. The figure 7 played a special role in the cult of his personality: Ben Ali assumed power on November 7, which is why numerous streets, squares and also the state broadcaster were named after this key date. She is now director of Beity, the only shelter for vulnerable women in Tunis. Competing football club graffiti in Tunis suburbs. But to no avail. But it was too little, too late. And anyone who wanted to do business in Tunisia had to guarantee the presidential clan a 10-20% share. Dozens of protesters were killed in clashes with security forces, provoking outcry from human rights groups. In January 2011 Ben Ali made several attempts to placate the opposition by expressing regret for the deaths of protesters and vowing to create jobs, control food prices, and increase political freedom. Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, also spelled Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn ibn ʿAlī, (born September 3, 1936, near Sousse, Tunisia—died September 19, 2019, Jiddah, Saudi Arabia), army officer and politician who served as president of Tunisia (1987–2011). In a second trial held in July, Ben Ali was convicted of smuggling drugs, guns, and archaeological objects and sentenced to 15 years in prison. In 2014 he became the country's first democratically elected leader, following the Arab Spring. Please make sure to include your name and your country. Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. He also studied engineering in the United States. Alongside Tunisia’s political revolution has been the beginning of a transition in its civil-military relations. Tunisia also has the highest number of "Islamic State" recruits, and has fought against an Islamist insurgency in the country's border regions. Foreign media and NGOs criticised his government, which was supported by the United States and France. Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia’s former long-time president who died in mid-September, will probably be remembered best as the first autocrat to fall during the popular uprisings that spread across the Middle East in early 2011. Over 6,000 Tunisians reached Italy's shores in 2017 alone; over a third came in the space of two months, the sharpest increase since the 2011 revolution. If you are meeting someone in Tunisia’s capital, you may well propose to meet at the clock tower on the main thoroughfare. "Now, at least we can speak freely," proclaim Tunisians on the streets. Back in 2008, France's then-President Nicolas Sarkozy even lauded the country for supposedly making advances in human rights. The murders of secularist politicians Mohamed Brahmi and Chokri Belaid shocked the country in 2013; Tunis routinely sees demonstrators calling for justice. After nearly 24 years in power, he became the former president of Tunisia. Test your knowledge with this quiz. Tunis (AFP) - Former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the first leader to be toppled by the Arab Spring revolts, died Thursday in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia's foreign ministry told … Ben Ali attended a French military academy, underwent intelligence training in the United States, and quickly rose up the ranks back in Tunisia. Read more: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: The robber baron of Tunisia "It is the end of dictators like him. Corrections? Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Do you think you can match these African leaders to the countries they’ve led? Like Tunisia, Morocco—dominated by the ʿAlawite monarchy since independence—has almost no oil, but it does possess greater reserves…. Cafes, such as Le Parlement in Tunis, have become a forum for discussions and debates spurred on by the revolution. At least three visitors in the small cafe have been deported from Italy. He spent four years in northern Italy, dealing drugs and saving enough for a house and marriage back home. Ben Ali. 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