French Court Rejects Extradition of Ben Ali's Daughter
Last update: April 1, 2026
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Halima is wanted in her home country for alleged financial crimes....
A French court on Wednesday refused to extradite Halima Ben Ali, daughter of Tunisia's late president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who is wanted in her home country over alleged financial crimes.
Halima Ben Ali was arrested in September last year at Tunisia's request while preparing to board a flight from Paris to Dubai.
Her lawyer argued that sending her back to Tunisia would be tantamount to "a death sentence".
The Paris Appeals Court said its decision was based on Tunisia’s failure to provide guarantees that she would receive a trial before an independent and impartial court.
Halima Ben Ali is accused of laundering assets allegedly obtained during her father’s rule from 1987 to 2011.
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was the first leader toppled during the Arab Spring uprisings.
While some viewed him as a bulwark against Islamist extremism, critics accused him of suppressing opposition during his time in power.
He fled Tunisia following mass protests and lived in exile in Saudi Arabia, where he died in 2019 at the age of 83.
Ben Ali was later sentenced in absentia several times to life imprisonment, including for the deadly crackdown on protesters in the final weeks of his rule.
