Tunisia issues int’l warrant for ex-ruler

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) ― Tunisia’s government issued an international arrest warrant Wednesday for ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and six relatives, accusing him of taking money out of the North African nation illegally.

Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia after being driven from power this month by violent protests, was also being charged with illegally acquiring real estate and other assets abroad, Justice Minister Lazhar Karoui Chebbi said.

Interpol said its Tunis bureau issued a global alert seeking the arrest of Ben Ali and six family members, without specifying who.

Chebbi said Ben Ali’s wife, Leila, was among those wanted by Tunisian authorities.

As Chebbi spoke, Tunisian police fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters who have been pressuring the interim government to get rid of old guard ministers who served under Ben Ali. The clashes broke out in front of the prime minister’s office in Tunis, the capital. Some demonstrators responded by throwing stones at police.

Several injured protesters were carted away from the melee.

Others tried to smash the windows of a police van, leaving the ground covered in blood. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Ben Ali, his wife and their clan have been widely accused of abusing their power to enrich themselves. In France, where family members are believed to have assets ranging from apartments to racehorses, Paris prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into their holdings.

French media have reported that Leila left the country with millions in gold, but Tunisia’s new central bank governor, Mustapha Kamel Nabli, says no gold was taken from the bank’s vaults during the final days of Ben Ali’s regime.

The former president fled Jan. 14 after 23 years in power, pushed out by weeks of protests driven by anger over joblessness, repression and corruption. His swift departure was followed by riots, looting and unrest.

On Wednesday, the justice minister highlighted the scope of that unrest: Some 11,029 prisoners ― about a third of the country’s prison population ― were able to escape amid the chaos, he said. Of those, 1,532 prisoners are back behind bars and 74 other prisoners died in fires that broke out.

The top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, Jeffrey Feltman, wrapped up a three-day visit in Tunis on Wednesday, rejecting speculation that the United States was involved in Ben Ali’s removal.

“This is a revolution by Tunisians for Tunisians, and the United States was not involved,” Feltman told reporters, crediting the interim government for greater openness and steps toward political reform.

The state news agency TAP, citing a government spokesman late Wednesday, said officials planned to announce changes to the lineup of ministers on Thursday.

The caretaker government includes some former opposition leaders, but many top posts ― including prime minister and the ministers of defense, foreign affairs and the interior ― were retained by Ben Ali cronies. Demonstrators want those old-guard lawmakers out.

The interim government also eased back on its nightly curfew, now setting it at 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., TAP reported.

Tunisia’s so-called “Jasmine Revolution” has sparked scattered protests and civil disobedience in the Middle East and North Africa.

In Cairo, anti-government activists pelted police with firebombs and rocks in a second day of clashes Wednesday to demand an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30 years in power. Police responded with tear gas, beatings and live ammunition.