After his arrest in France .. Is Belhassan Trabelsi delivered to Tunisia?

Amal al-Hilali - Tunisia

There is a state of alertness in the political and popular circles in Tunisia after the arrest of Belhassen Trabelsi (the son-in-law of ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali), the biggest head of corruption required since the revolution.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Justice - received by Al Jazeera Net, a copy - that the authorities reached on 14 March, a notice from the Interpol confirms the arrest of the French authorities arrested Trabelsi.

"The ministry has submitted an urgent letter to the Foreign Ministry demanding that it inform the French authorities of the desire of the Tunisian side to hand over the matter in accordance with the bilateral agreement between the two countries concerning judicial cooperation in criminal law and extradition," the statement said.

Trabelsi has been issued an international summons since 2011, 17 local inspection publications, and the eldest brother of the ousted wife Laila faces judicial and prison sentences related to financial corruption, exploitation of influence, waste of public money and trade in antiquities.

Convictions
A source from the Ministry of Justice said that the ministry is preparing a judicial file to be submitted to the French authorities, including all the convictions against Trabelsi, expressing the hope that the French side will react positively in the framework of the agreement between the two countries.

Trabelsi fled with his family on a yacht to Italy on January 14, 2011, and then to Canada where he had settled for years.

On 16 March 2015, the Canadian judiciary refused to grant asylum to the deposition of the deposed after losing the status of permanent resident on its territory in 2012. The Court justified this refusal with suspicion of serious public rights offenses in Tunisia.

Trabelsi disappeared from Canada in mysterious circumstances after a decision to expel him, to show the Tunisians for the first time in a television program via a telephone interview on the Tunisian channel "Al-Tasa" on January 9, 2017, which angered the Tunisians.

Ahmed Sawab, a human rights activist and former judge of the Administrative Court, says that Tunisia's request to receive the Tripoli man may come up against some legal gaps in the nature of the sentences against him, all of which are absent.

He pointed out that the authorities could in turn ask for his extradition from the French side with a commitment to provide fair trial conditions, and the pretext of the impossibility of being tried in the past because of his escape outside the Tunisian territory.

He stressed that the Tunisian judiciary is required to submit a serious file to the French authorities and the Interpol office there meets all the conditions of condemnation and evidence of violations committed by the deposed deposed against the people and the Tunisian state.

For his part, a member of the Shura Council of the Renaissance movement Zubair al-Shahoudi described the arrest of the ousted brother-in-law of the victory of the revolution and its martyrs in view of the symbolic Trabelsi, which is one of the most prominent heads of corruption in the former era.

Al-Shahoudi stressed that the position of the Renaissance has not changed since the revolution to hold accountable all of the looting of public money and committed crimes against Tunisians.

People's money
"Our position is consistent with the need to apply the law to the spoilers and the remnants of the deposed, especially, for those who missed the opportunity to reconcile with the people through the transitional justice law and left now only the criminal track and the recovery of the people's money."

He stressed that Trabelsi in the event of extradition will have all the guarantees of a fair trial like any other defendant away from the logic of healing or revenge.

Mohamed Abbou, a former minister and leader of the opposition Democratic Movement, expressed his hope that the French authorities would hand over the deposed brotherhood as soon as possible in the light of a fair and transparent judicial atmosphere after the revolution.

"This is an opportunity for the French authorities to confirm their support for the Tunisian revolution and the right of the Tunisians to recover their looted money," he added.

Abbou confirmed that Trabelsi had missed the path of litigation through the Transitional Justice Law through the Truth and Dignity Commission, which benefited many of the ousted members of the regime, such as Salim Cheiboub.

He explained that the state will seek to recover all the funds looted by Trabelsi within the framework of a fair criminal course away from the logic of healing.

The social networking pages interacted with the news of Trabelsi's suspension and hoped to hand him over as soon as possible.

"The great thief Belhassen Trabelsi is in the grip of the French authorities, and Tunisia wants to take him over," activist Fathi Hizki wrote.

He asked, in turn, the fate of the looted people's money, and the companies managed in Tunisia on the "king of lobbies" of corruption.

Activist Mouldi Chnabia wondered whether France would hand over the deposed brother-in-law under a deal.

The political activist Mohamed Kassem said the extradition of the French authorities Trabelsi will be part of the campaign of Prime Minister Youssef witness.

"INTERPOL has not done so in the past despite the issuance of warrants and arrest warrants from previous governments," he said.