Magharebia

An El Kef military court on Wednesday (June 13th) sentenced ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to life in prison, TAP reported. Presidential security chief Ali Seriati and Regional Director of Intervention Forces Moncef Laadjimi were acquitted and other defendants received sentences ranging from 8 to 15 years in prison.

"I expect that people will react negatively in Kasserine, especially in the case of Moncef Laadjimi, as many people stated they had personally witnessed him co-ordinating killings," Tunisia Live quoted prosecutor Monia Bouali as saying about the acquittals.

Ben Ali and nearly two dozen co-defendants were on trial for the deaths of 22 demonstrators in Thala, Kasserine, Kairouan, and Tajerouine during last year's revolution.