Tunisia’s deposed president Zine Abidine Ben Ali has died in exile in Saudi Arabia at the age of 83, his lawyer has confirmed on Thursday.
Ben Ali he had been living in exile in the kingdom since his fall at the start of the 2011 Arab Spring.
News of his death earlier on Thursday was confirmed by his lawyer Mounir Ben Salha on his Facebook page and by Tunisia’s Foreign Affairs ministry.
Several media reports suggest that Ben Ali was hospitalized in Jeddah where he died of an undspecified illness.
The 83-year-old who took power in 1987 fled to Saudi Arabia after being ousted from power in 2011 at the beginning of the Arab Spring.
Since his fall, Ben Ali made rare public appearances or statements.
ODL/cd/lb/as/APA