A former military intelligence
chief, Ben Ali ruled Tunisia for 23 years, taking power when, as prime minister in 1987, he declared president-for-life Habib Bourguiba medically unfit to rule.
Ben Ali fled Tunisia with his wife, Leila, in January 2011 to Saudi Arabia, as his people rose up against his oppressive rule in a revolution that inspired other uprisings in the Middle East and led to a democratic transition at home.
A Tunisian court sentenced him in absentia
that year to 35 years in prison.
He died in exile in Saudi Arabia in September 2019 and was buried there.
Updated: March 9, 2021 09:13 PM
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