Ben Ali: Tunisia issues arrest warrant for ex-leader

BBC News, 26 January 2011

Tunisia has issued an international arrest warrant for ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his family, the nation's justice minister has said.

Protesters accuse Mr Ben Ali of enriching himself
and his family during his years in power

Lazhar Karoui Chebbi said Tunisia had asked Interpol to detain Mr Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia earlier this month amid mass street protests.

Mr Chebbi said Mr Ben Ali should be tried for property theft and transferring foreign currency.

He was speaking as anti-government protests continued in the country.

In the capital Tunis, some of the protesters had apparently tried to breach barricades around the main government compound, and police responded by firing tear gas.

'Cleaning up'

Mr Chebbi said Mr Ben Ali and his family members were being being sought for "illegal acquisition" of assets and "illicit transfers of funds abroad.

The minister added that seven family members were currently in custody, but several more had fled abroad.

In a separate development, protesters in Tunis clashed with police outside the government building.

The demonstrators - mainly young men and teenagers - demanded the resignation of the interim government led by Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi,.

The protesters said the cabinet was full of Mr Ben Ali's former allies, including Mr Ghannouchi.

"We have only one demand: for the government to fall. They all have to go. Ghannouchi should go first," protester Bassem El Barouni was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

Hamid El Gribi, another protester, said: "We have to clean up the rest of the old government."

Mr Ghannouchi has promised elections within six months, saying he will quit "in the shortest possible timeframe".

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Tunisia calls on Interpol to arrest ousted president Ben Ali