Tunisian tribunal seeks death penalty for Ben Ali

A Tunisian military prosecutor demanded the death penalty Wednesday for ex-president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who is being tried in absentia over killings during last years popular uprising.Defence lawyers and the victims relatives alike were surprised by the decision, as Ben Ali is charged only with complicity in voluntary homicide while others are accused of direct involvement.Aside from seeking the death penalty for Ben Ali, the prosecutor at the military tribunal also sought the toughest penalties possible for his 22 co-defendants, a court official said.They are ex-senior officials being prosecuted for the deaths of at least 22 people during the January 2011 pro-democracy protests in the towns of Thala and Kasserine.Many of the victims died when security forces fired live rounds.It is the first time the death penalty has been sought against the ousted longtime leader, although he has already been sentenced to more than 66 years in prison on a range of other charges including drug trafficking and embezzlement.Ben Ali was absent for those court cases, having fled Tunisia on January 14 to seek exile in Saudi Arabia.He and his wife are the subject of an international arrest warrant, but Saudi authorities have not responded to Tunisian extradition requests.