But two policemen, sent by the Trabelsi family, intercepted her at the bus station on her way to her village. On the orders of the Trabelsis, the victim was punished by the officers: she was beaten, insulted and threatened to be stripped. Rachida Kouki stood up even more vigorously against her oppressors. An idea came to her after an incident, a short circuit in one of the rooms of the house that was quickly fixed by the servants.
She burned a rug. The fire was quickly put out but she would pay dearly for her desperate act. On 30 April , police officers took Rachida to the Marsa police station, following a complaint from Ines Ajri, who accused her of wanting to set fire to her villa. She was then forced to sign the report, without even reading its contents. Let them at least apologize!
Not only was the trial expeditive, but the young woman was also found guilty of the short circuit. Then came the sentence, read out in a classical Arabic that the victim did not understand: life imprisonment. Forbidden to correspond with her family, it would take more than a year for her parents to find out where she was. When Hayet Jazzar made contact with the victim in early , she was touched by her story.
But her appeal was rejected and all legal avenues exhausted. ATFD sought a presidential amnesty. The new head of state, Moncef Marzouki, granted her amnesty on 24 July But the association did not stop there. And it was this commission that, on 14 May , referred the case to the Tunis Chamber of Transitional Justice. Recommended reading As Tunisia emerges from confinement, what future for its specialized chambers?
Rachida is a big liar who must have perfected in prison her art of spinning yarns. On 2 July, the specialized chamber in Tunis heard defendants in the case of Rachida Kouki, a housemaid who worked for the family of the nephew of Leila Trabelsi Ben Ali, the former First Lady. Rachida Kouki's former bosses are accused of kidnapping and assaulting her before getting her sentenced to life in jail.
During the demonstrations, she kept calling people to tell them about her daughter's tragedy until one day, by chance, she came across a journalist who directed her to the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women ATFD , a feminist NGO known for its centre supporting victims of violence against women and for its energetic team of women lawyers.
On 2 July, before the transitional justice chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance, Rachida Kouki's former bosses were in the dock: Ines Lajri, her sister, brother and mother. Ines Lajri's husband is none other than Mohamed-Moncef Trabelsi on the run since , nephew of Leila Trabelsi Ben Ali, the former First Lady known for her numerous siblings and their grasp on the national wealth. After some time, this lady "gave" her to her daughter, Ines Lajri Trabelsi, who was going through a difficult pregnancy.
The young woman's descent into hell began as soon as Leila Trabelsi Ben Ali's nephew and his wife discovered that their firstborn, Moncef, was autistic. After three years on the run, Belhassen was arrested in March in the south of France. He remains under judicial supervision while French courts examine whether to extradite him for trial in Tunisia, with a new hearing set for December He is accused of fraud, embezzlement and laundering criminal proceeds.
Imed, a nephew of Leila Trabelsi, was arrested as he attempted to flee to France the day the regime fell. The most prominent Trabelsi to have faced trial in Tunisia, he was sentenced to years in prison, including on multiple charges of corruption. In , he apologised on national television for the endemic corruption under Ben Ali, describing how the clan bribed and bullied its way to monopolies on everything from the real estate sector to banana imports.
Trabelsi said he "apologised from the bottom of my heart" and offered to pay back his ill-gotten gains, but he remains in prison. Two other brothers of Leila Trabelsi have died in jail: Moncef and Mourad. Sakher El Materi, ex-husband of Nessrine Trabelsi , was often seen as Ben Ali's favourite son-in-law and potential successor. After the revolution, he sought refuge in the ultra-rich Gulf state of Qatar, but was expelled and headed to the Seychelles.
The Indian Ocean nation gave him residency in , a decision Tunisia called "unacceptable". In , he proposed paying million dinars in exchange for the right to return to Tunisia. The government did not respond. El Materi's father, army officer Moncef El Materi , was arrested on an international arrest warrant when a cruise ship he was aboard stopped in France in The following year a court rejected Tunisia's appeal for his extradition to face charges of money laundering.
The ex-husband of Cyrine Ben Ali , a daughter of Ben Ali from his first marriage, Mabrouk is a discrete but influential businessman. The changing face of International Geneva Geneva, the original globalist city, remains a magnet for new organisations and initiatives, but it faces numerous challenges. Articles in this story The changing face of International Geneva. Read more More More. Tunisia continues along the rocky path of democratic progress This content was published on May 2, May 2, Switzerland's ambassador to Tunisia sees important progress on human rights, democracy and the security situation in the North African country.
Swiss court rejects Tunisia appeal against Ben Ali assets decision This content was published on Oct 29, Oct 29, The Federal Criminal Court has thrown out an appeal by Tunisian authorities to freeze the funds of three brothers linked to Ben Ali assets.
Share this story. Join the conversation! With a SWI account, you have the opportunity to contribute on our website.
0コメント