Former Tunisian President Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted in street protests earlier this year, was sentenced by a Tunisian court to 16 years years along with his son-in-law on corruption charges. The court also ordered the former president and businessman Sakher al-Materi, who were tried in absentia, to pay 97 million dinars ($70.65 million) in fines, respectively. The ousted president's daughter, Nisreen, who is married to Materi, was also handed 8 years in jail and ordered to pay 50 million dinars, Tunisian reports stated. Ben Ali fled with members of his close family to Saudi Arabia, where he is now in exile, after 23 years in power. Thursday's trial was the third against Ben Ali, who has refused to attend. Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi were each sentenced to 35 years in jail last month after being found guilty of theft and illegal possession of jewelery and large sums of cash. A second trial found Ben Ali guilty of possessing drugs and weapons. BM
