Tunisia: Understanding Conflict 2012 - Johns Hopkins School of ...

the commercial interests of the banks involved is lacking—and is unlikely to appear;
however, the symbolic meaning of the attempts remain clear and meaningful.
A contrary situation exists with regard to the assets seized from within Tunisia
when the Ben Ali and Trabelsi family members fled in January. These have remained
frozen since and are rapidly losing value and operability. Considering the fact that they
represent some of the most successful businesses in all of the key sectors of the country,
it is important that the government make a decision on how they should be handled, and
soon.
Trying Ben Ali
At the end of June 2011, former President Ben Ali was put on trial in absentia in Tunisia.
The trial is being held both in the Tunis Criminal Court and in a military court, and began
with two embezzlement, money laundering and drug trafficking cases against the
President personally, although other charges of conspiracy against the state and voluntary
manslaughter are also expected. This however was only the beginning; Ben Ali has been
tried and convicted in a military court for his role in a 1991 case in which 17 servicemen
were accused of plotting a coup against his regime. He was sentenced to five years in
prison, with the right of appeal.
In January 2012 a further trial was begun, trying the former President for his
alleged role in the deaths of protestors during the January 2011 uprising. He stands
accused before a military tribunal, alongside dozens of senior officials in the former
regime, of ordering snipers to shoot protestors. The President himself may not be
present, but the court is also trying various high-profile figures for the crime that are
currently in custody in Tunisia—including in this case the former Director General of
Public Security, Lotfi Zwawi.
Ben Ali himself has remained in exile in Saudi Arabia since January 2011 and
Saudi officials have declined to respond to requests for his extradition. Significantly, the
former President has spoken only through his lawyer, and has made no apologies, instead
claiming that he was unaware of the events he stands accused of.
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