Tunisia’s former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for corrupt property deals.

Ben Ali, his daughter Nesrine and his son-in-law Sakher el-Materi were all sentenced in absentia and were ordered to collectively pay $100m.

El-Materi was also given a 16-year prison sentence, while Nesrine received an eight-year term.

Ben Ali remains in Saudi Arabia where he fled on 14 January. Tunisia’s interim government has failed to have him extradited.

On 20 June, Ben Ali was sentenced along with his wife Leila to 35 years in prison for embezzlement and the misuse of public funds (MEED 21:6:11).

Earlier in July, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for possessing illegal drugs and weapons found at his palace in Carthage.