Ghannouchi testifies against Ben Ali in court

Tunisian former permier Mohamed Ghannouchi testified, Monday, against Tunisian ex-President Zein El Abidine Ben Ali and his key aides on charges of manslaughter. Ghannouchi appeared before the Military court held in Le Kaf, some 170 kilometres northwest of the capital Tunis, as a witness in the case of the Thala and Kasserine martyrs, where 22 protesters were killed during the popular uprising leading to Ben Ali’s escape to Saudi Arabia on January 14. Ghannouchi, who held the post of first prime minister  in the transitional government following Ben Ali’s ouster until February 27, testified that the ex-President wanted to “kill a thousand or more” Tunisian demonstrators who called for his demise in order to quell the popular revolt. He said he called Ben Ali on January 9 last year to order a halt to live bullets being used on protestors in Kasserine but the former leader justified it as a “legitimate defense” given the attacks on police posts. "This was Ben Ali's response to my request to stop firing live rounds," he said. Ben Ali is being tried in absentia with 23 others, including two of his former interior ministers, and several top security officials, who are also accused of being responsible for injuries to hundreds in the two towns. Former interior ministers Rafik Belhaj Kacem and Ahmed Friaa and former security chief Adel Tiouiri denied ordering security forces to shoot and passed on the blame to officials manning a security cell in the interior ministry. They did not, however, name any officials or pin responsibility on Ben Ali. According to lawyers, suspects are subject to death sentence if proven guilty.