Updated on
Summary Ben Ali was ousted by Tunisian people in January and now in Saudi Arabia.
A Tunisian court sentenced former president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in absentia to more than 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of illegal possession of drugs and weapons.It is the second major sentence passed on Ben Ali, who was handed a 35-year jail term for other crimes last month.Ben Alis overthrow in January after weeks of protests inspired the wave of Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa.Following the one-day trial, the judge sentenced Ben Ali to 15 years and six months, adding that the six months had been tacked on for illegal possession of archaeological artifacts.Ben Ali was convicted of possession of drugs with the intent to sell them and illegal possession of weapons.Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi were each given 35 years in prison last month after the court found them guilty of theft and of illegally possessing jewelry and large sums of cash.
