Runaway and first ousted president in the Arab world Ben Ali and his wife Laila El Trabelsi have been sentenced today 35 years in jail in absentia. They were found guilty of theft and illegal possession of cash and jewelry. The couple will have to pay fines totaling to $ 65.6 million. The judge read the verdict after one day of deliberation , in our Egyptian system the judge reads the verdict in absentia from the first session if the accused is on the run.
This is not the end for the Ben Alis as the judge will announce the verdict on other charges related to illegal drug and weapon possession soon. The serious charges will be dealt with in the future including the killing of protesters. Ben Ali and his inner circle are facing 65 charges , 35 will be referred to the military court.
As there is no Farid El Deeb in Tunisia , Ben Ali and his wife hired foreign lawyers from Lebanon and France and they are just good in sending statements to the press. Of course Ben Ali is denying all charges and thinks he is mistreated and the scapegoat in the revolution!! One of his lawyers reminded the people that Ben Ali did not resign from presidency officially thus he is the president !! Well president in absentia , it seems Ben Ali has not understood yet his people nor what happened in Tunisia in the past 6 months. Seriously he does not understand and this appears in what he sent to Al Arabiya news channel yesterday from statement claiming that he was a victim of a a conspiracy made by his intelligence and that he was deceived to travel to Jeddah !!
Strangely that this is the second ousted president to send a statement to Al Arabiya !!
Ironically Tunisian law does not allow foreign lawyers to defend their clients in absentia , it seems that the Ben Alis did not study their own country’s very well. May be these lawyers will help Ben Ali in the probe currently taking place in France , they should start to contact Mubarak’s attorneys as well to form one front. Seriously speaking these lawyers may have been hired not to defend the Ben Alis in Tunisia but outside it as they know they will be hunted through Europe and through the ICC.
Saudi Arabia has not yet responded on the extradition request from Tunisia. A defected Libyan officer claims that Laila El Trabelsi and Qaddafi were behind the counter revolution in Tunisia. Did not the kingdom make it clear to the couple that they should stop meddling in Tunisia’s affairs !?
Has Tunisia just scored yet again !?
This is not the end for the Ben Alis as the judge will announce the verdict on other charges related to illegal drug and weapon possession soon. The serious charges will be dealt with in the future including the killing of protesters. Ben Ali and his inner circle are facing 65 charges , 35 will be referred to the military court.
As there is no Farid El Deeb in Tunisia , Ben Ali and his wife hired foreign lawyers from Lebanon and France and they are just good in sending statements to the press. Of course Ben Ali is denying all charges and thinks he is mistreated and the scapegoat in the revolution!! One of his lawyers reminded the people that Ben Ali did not resign from presidency officially thus he is the president !! Well president in absentia , it seems Ben Ali has not understood yet his people nor what happened in Tunisia in the past 6 months. Seriously he does not understand and this appears in what he sent to Al Arabiya news channel yesterday from statement claiming that he was a victim of a a conspiracy made by his intelligence and that he was deceived to travel to Jeddah !!
Strangely that this is the second ousted president to send a statement to Al Arabiya !!
Ironically Tunisian law does not allow foreign lawyers to defend their clients in absentia , it seems that the Ben Alis did not study their own country’s very well. May be these lawyers will help Ben Ali in the probe currently taking place in France , they should start to contact Mubarak’s attorneys as well to form one front. Seriously speaking these lawyers may have been hired not to defend the Ben Alis in Tunisia but outside it as they know they will be hunted through Europe and through the ICC.
Saudi Arabia has not yet responded on the extradition request from Tunisia. A defected Libyan officer claims that Laila El Trabelsi and Qaddafi were behind the counter revolution in Tunisia. Did not the kingdom make it clear to the couple that they should stop meddling in Tunisia’s affairs !?
Has Tunisia just scored yet again !?
When we get rid of Gaddafi and Bashar, we need to make a coalition of the freed Arab countries and bomb "saudi" arabia back to the middle ages were they belong, perhaps then they will allow women to drive camels
ReplyDelete