Leïla Ben Ali

Leïla Ben Ali (Tunisian Arabic: ; []; born 14 or 24 October 1956) is the widow of former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and served as First Lady of Tunisia from their marriage in 1992 to Ben Ali's overthrow during the Tunisian revolution in 2011.

Leïla Ben Ali was the president of the Arab Women Organization and chair of the BASMA Association, a charitable organization working to secure employment for disabled people. In July 2010, Ben Ali founded SAIDA to improve care for cancer patients in Tunisia. factors that contributed to the protests against the regime of Ben Ali at the end of 2010. she is wanted by Interpol on behest of the Tunisian judiciary for high treason and money laundering.

Early life and family

Leïla Trabelsi is the daughter of Mohamed and Saïda Trabelsi. She has ten brothers and sisters. A "hard hitting" 2009 book by French journalists Nicholas Beau and Catherine Graciet traced her rise from the daughter of a dried fruit seller to First Lady. Prior to her 1992 marriage to Ben Ali, she was a hairdresser with little formal education, partying hard in Paris. She was married for three years to Khelil Maaouia. The center provided technical training in a number of fields including computer science, embroidery, carpentry, theater and music.

She also started SAIDA, an initiative to improve cancer treatment, in 2010. She frequently gave speeches, was present at official ceremonies and occasionally read her husband's speeches. She regularly travelled with the president on official visits to other countries. Ben Ali was also active in S.O.S. Gammarth and El Karama, which provided care for orphans and promoted human rights, respectively.

Arab Women Organization

As president of the AWO, Leïla Ben Ali established the Arab Women's commission for International Humanitarian Law that served to promote international humanitarian law by increasing awareness and providing training programs for governments and humanitarian organizations. She also made domestic violence prevention a major priority of the AWO, and called for greater public attention and reporting of violence against women in the home. In an interview in Trends Magazine, she asserted the importance of Arab women in sustainable development and bettering the Arab women's image were her main objectives as president of the AWO. She was commended for her work with the AWO to increase women's capacity in all fields and positions, and for increasing cooperation among Arab states on women's issues.

Corruption

She became a lightning rod for dissatisfaction within a Tunisian society disgusted with the rise of her immediate family and Trabelsi family. According to the French newspaper Le Monde Diplomatique, Leïla Ben Ali symbolizes the "greed" of the presidential family. A leaked American diplomatic cable described how Ambassador Robert F. Godec often heard "barbs about their lack of education, low social status and conspicuous consumption." During the 2010–2011 Tunisian protests, rioters specifically targeted homes they believed belonged to the Trabelsi extended family. however, the removal was denied by the bank. The Swiss government announced that it was freezing millions of dollars held in bank accounts by her family.

On 20 June 2011, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Leïla Ben Ali were sentenced to 35 years in prison in absentia after being found guilty of theft and unlawful possession of cash and jewellery.

As of November 2022, she was sentenced to a total of 60 years in prison.

Personal life

She and her husband had three children together: Nesrine (born out of wedlock; recognized by her father, married to Mohammad Sakher El Materi), Halima and Mohamed Zine El Abidine. The couple were together until 19 September 2019, when the former president died in Saudi Arabia.