Tunis calls for Ben Ali relative extradition

Tunisia has called on authorities in the Seychelles to extradite the son-in-law of former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, an Interior Ministry spokesman has announced. The move comes after the Seychelles offered a residency permit to Sakhr El Materi and his family for one year. In a statement, Tunisia’s Interior Ministry spokesman called on the string of Indian Ocean islands to “respect international laws” and extradite El Materi. Ben Ali’s son-in-law was sentenced to 16 years in prison in absentia and fined 97m dinars ($70m) by a Tunisian court on charges of embezzlement and corruption, following an Interpol search warrant. Director at the Ministry of Justice Information Office, Adel Riahi, has told Arabstoday an urgent arrest warrant was issued against El Materi in the wake of Tunisia’s 2011 revolution which ousted Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from power. Riahi denied claims El Materi was not given a fair trial in his own country.