Ex-Tunisia president gets 20 years in absentia

Tunis, Tunisia: A Tunisian military court has convicted the former president in absentia of inciting violence and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. [caption id=“attachment_342305” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Riot police face off with demonstrators during a protest in Tunis. Reuters”]  [/caption] Former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was overthrown in a month-long popular uprising last year and fled to Saudi Arabia on Jan. 14, 2011. Ben Ali’s conviction Wednesday was for an incident the day after he left when security forces opened fire on protesters in the central town of Ouardanine, killing four. Ben Ali has already been convicted of drug trafficking, illegal arms trading and abuse of the public funds and sentenced to 66 years in prison by a civilian court. At least 338 people died in the uprising and another 2,147 were wounded. AP