Tunisia issues intl warrant for ousted president

The Associated Press | Thu, 01/27/2011 10:38 AM | Headlines

Tunisia's government issued an international arrest warrant Wednesday for ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and six relatives, accusing him of taking money out of the North African nation illegally.

Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia after being driven from power this month by violent protests, was also being charged with illegally acquiring real estate and other assets abroad, Justice Minister Lazhar Karoui Chebbi said.

Interpol said its Tunis bureau issued a global alert seeking the arrest of Ben Ali and six family members, without specifying who. Chebbi said Ben Ali's wife, Leila, was among those wanted by Tunisian authorities.

As Chebbi spoke, Tunisian police fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters who have been pressuring the interim government to get rid of old guard ministers who served under Ben Ali. The clashes broke out in front of the prime minister's office in Tunis, the capital. Some demonstrators responded by throwing stones at police.

Several injured protesters were carted away from the melee. Others tried to smash the windows of a police van, leaving the ground covered in blood. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Ben Ali, his wife and their clan have been widely accused of abusing their power to enrich themselves. In France, where family members are believed to have assets ranging from apartments to racehorses, Paris prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into their holdings.

French media have reported that Leila left the country with millions in gold, but Tunisia's new central bank governor, Mustapha Kamel Nabli, says no gold was taken from the bank's vaults during the final days of Ben Ali's regime.

The former president fled Jan. 14 after 23 years in power, pushed out by weeks of protests driven by anger over joblessness, repression and corruption. His swift departure was followed by riots, looting and unrest.

On Wednesday, the justice minister highlighted the scope of that unrest: Some 11,029 prisoners - about a third of the country's prison population - were able to escape amid the chaos, he said. Of those, 1,532 prisoners are back behind bars and 74 other prisoners died in fires that broke out.

The top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, Jeffrey Feltman, wrapped up a three-day visit in Tunis on Wednesday, rejecting speculation that the United States was involved in Ben Ali's removal.

"This is a revolution by Tunisians for Tunisians, and the United States was not involved," Feltman told reporters, crediting the interim government for greater openness and steps toward political reform.

The state news agency TAP, citing a government spokesman late Wednesday, said officials planned to announce changes to the lineup of ministers on Thursday.

The caretaker government includes some former opposition leaders, but many top posts - including prime minister and the ministers of defense, foreign affairs and the interior - were retained by Ben Ali cronies. Demonstrators want those old-guard lawmakers out.

The interim government also eased back on its nightly curfew, now setting it at 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., TAP reported.

Tunisia's so-called "Jasmine Revolution" has sparked scattered protests and civil disobedience in the Middle East and North Africa.

In Cairo, anti-government activists pelted police with firebombs and rocks in a second day of clashes Wednesday to demand an end to President Hosni Mubarak's nearly 30 years in power. Police responded with tear gas, beatings and live ammunition.

RI govt set to evacuate Indonesians from Tunisia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/21/2011 3:00 PM | World

The Indonesian government announced Friday plans to evacuate 120 Indonesian from of Tunisia amid political turmoil in the country.

"We will inform them of the evacuation process. They will be brought back soon,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Michael Tene said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Michael said 120 Indonesians were currently in Tunisia: 37 at the Indonesian Ambassador’s residence, 22 at the Indonesian Embassy office, and 17 at residences of Indonesian diplomats. The 43 others had opted to remain in their own homes, he said.

“There is also one who is now now being treated in a hospital," Michael said.

Demonstrations in Tunisia have been going on for a month. At least 78 people have been killed during the crisis. Ben Ali, the former president, was forced to flee after he was accused of corruption.Tunisia Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi took over the presidential position for interim governance pending an election.

RI govt set to evacuate Indonesians from Tunisia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/21/2011 3:00 PM | World

The Indonesian government announced Friday plans to evacuate 120 Indonesian from of Tunisia amid political turmoil in the country.

"We will inform them of the evacuation process. They will be brought back soon,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Michael Tene said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Michael said 120 Indonesians were currently in Tunisia: 37 at the Indonesian Ambassador’s residence, 22 at the Indonesian Embassy office, and 17 at residences of Indonesian diplomats. The 43 others had opted to remain in their own homes, he said.

“There is also one who is now now being treated in a hospital," Michael said.

Demonstrations in Tunisia have been going on for a month. At least 78 people have been killed during the crisis. Ben Ali, the former president, was forced to flee after he was accused of corruption.Tunisia Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi took over the presidential position for interim governance pending an election.

Tunisia probes foreign assets of deposed leader

Hadeel Al-Shalchi, The Associated Press, Tunis, Tunisia | Wed, 01/19/2011 9:10 PM | World

A Tunisian prosecutor opened an investigation Wednesday into the overseas assets of the ousted president and his deeply resented family, as Tunisian authorities worked to restore order amid street protests against remnants of the former regime.

The move came as hundreds of protesters led a peaceful - if noisy - rally in central Tunis, demanding that former allies of deposed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali stop clinging to power.

Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday after 23 years in power, and a caretaker government run by his longtime prime minister is now struggling to calm tensions. The fragile state of the government highlights Tunisians' questions about who is in control of this moderate Muslim nation on the Mediterranean Sea, popular among European tourists and seen as an ally in the West's fight against terrorism.

The official TAP news agency says the prosecutor's office moved to investigate bank accounts, real estate and other assets held by Ben Ali, his wife Leila Trabelsi and other relatives. His relatives - especially his wife's family - were seen as corrupt and dominated many businesses in the nation.

Meanwhile, the Swiss president said Wednesday that her country's federal council agreed to freeze any assets in Switzerland belonging to Ben Ali, to help work up a possible criminal case over alleged stolen funds.

In Berlin, a German official said the European Union was working on a joint position or concrete proposals on Tunisia, which could include a decision on how to handle Ben Ali's assets in Europe.

Tunisia's interim government, already hobbled by defections, was expected to hold its first Cabinet meeting Wednesday afternoon. It also eased back the hours of a curfew initiated in the final days of Ben Ali's rule - ended after a deadly revolt swept up the streets nationwide.

TAP said that "in the wake of an improvement in the security situation in the country," a new curfew would take effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. - from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. previously.

At the Tunis protest Wednesday, protesters sang nationalist songs and held up signs with "RCD Out!" - referring to Ben Ali's former ruling party - as they rallied on central Avenue Bourguiba. White-and-blue police vans lined the route.

"We want the old government out - and we want them away from anything that has to do with the government," said Hafed al Maki, 50, who works at the country's largest insurance company. He said he and colleagues staged a strike and overthrew their manager Tuesday.

He said he would not wait for the 60-day time limit for new presidential elections "because that is enough time for the old cronies to set their roots in and start their old ways again, thieving and taking our resources. No way that's happening again."

Some protesters carried a coffin-like black box with the letters RCD painted in white, and banged the side of the coffin as they walked up and down. Others chanted, or sang.

The atmosphere was boisterous but not as combative as other protests in recent days - or as in the deadly protests leading up to Ben Ali's downfall, in which police fired at protesters hurling stones and setting buildings ablaze.

The interim government under Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi was already weakened after four ministers resigned Tuesday - within 24 hours after being appointed to the unprecedented multiparty Cabinet.

An airport official said the Tunisian foreign minister, Kamal Merjan, left the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheik on Wednesday before the start of an Arab League summit, without giving any reason.

The unrest has also rattled Tunisia's economy, which has seen impressive growth in recent years. Moody's Investor Service downgraded Tunisia's government bond ratings Wednesday, citing "significant uncertainties" surrounding Tunisia's economic and political future.

Moody's cut the rating by one notch, to "Baa3" from "Baa2," and also downgraded its outlook to negative from stable. Th new rating is one notch above "junk bond" status.

Labor unions, students and members of the Ennahdha Islamist party - which Ben Ali banned in 1992 and cracked down upon for years - have been among those protesting since his ouster.

A new unity government announced Monday was mostly made up of old gard politicians. A day later, at least four opposition ministers quit, aligning themselves with demonstrators who insist democratic change is impossible with former Ben Ali supporters still in power.

Ghannouchi and interim president Fouad Mebazaa, the former speaker of the lower house of parliament, quit the ruling RCD party Tuesday in an attempt to distance themselves from Ben Ali. The party itself kicked out Ben Ali, its founder, national TV reported.

The protests began in December, after an educated but unemployed 26-year-old man set himself on fire when police confiscated the fruit and vegetables he was selling without a permit. The move hit a nerve among frustrated jobless youths and prompted protests around the nation. Officials say 78 protesters and civilians died in the protests that swpt Ben Ali from power - many killed by police bullets.

Ben Ali was often criticized for a heavy-handed repression against his opponents, curbing civil liberties and running a police state - though he was praised for developing tourism and allying with the U.S. against terrorism.

Bowing to protesters' emands in recent days, Ghannouchi has pledged to free political prisoners, lift restrictions on the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights and create state panels to investigate bribery and abuses during the upheaval.