Tunisia’s former president jailed

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[unable to retrieve full-text content]The trial in absentia of Tunisia's former president began Monday in a packed courtroom in the country's capital with his attorneys asking the judge for more time to prepare his defense.

20 June 2011 Last updated at 15:09 ET

A Tunisian court has sentenced ousted Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his wife to 35 years in prison each.

The couple, who left Tunisia for Saudi Arabia in the midst of a popular uprising in January, were being tried in absentia.

The trial that began on Monday was looking at accusations of theft, corruption and drug smuggling, which the former president had denied.

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Tunisia’s former president jailed