A Tunisian court sentenced ousted President and his wife to 35 years in jail each for embezzlement and misusing public funds.

A Tunisian court sentenced ousted President and his wife to 35 years in jail each for embezzlement and misusing public funds.

Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his Leila Trabelsi, who fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14 after a popular uprising, were also fined $66m.

The one-day trial in absentia focused on $27m of cash and jewels reportedly found inside one of their palaces.
The judge said the verdict on other charges, relating to illegal possession of drugs and weapons, was postponed and would be pronounced on June 30.

Ben Ali's lawyer, Akram Azoury, criticized the charge, saying the verdict was politically motivated and "a joke".
Earlier, he said that his client "strongly denies all charges they are trying to press as he never possessed the sums of money they claimed to have found in his office".

Ben Ali is also being investigated on suspicion of murder, abuse of power, trafficking of archaeological artifacts and money laundering.

“DUPED INTO LEAVING”
On the other hand, Ben Ali said he was tricked by leaving Tunisia.
He released a statement from his exile on Monday saying: “I was duped into leaving”.

He insisted that he was simply escorting his wife and the rest of his family to Saudi Arabia for their own safety and intended to head straight back home. However, his plane left Saudi Arabia without him, "disobeying my instructions," Ben Ali complained.