France court blocks extradition of ex-Tunisian president's daughter

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A French court on Wednesday refused to extradite a daughter of Tunisia's late president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, wanted in her home country over alleged financial crimes.

Halima Ben Ali was arrested in September last year at Tunisia's request, as she was about to board a flight from Paris to Dubai.

Her lawyer has argued sending her home would be tantamount to "a death sentence".

The Paris Appeals Court said its ruling was based on Tunisia not responding to a request for guarantees of a trial by an independent and impartial court.

Halima Ben Ali has notably been accused of money laundering assets gained through her father ruling the North African country from 1987 to 2011.

Ben Ali was the first leader to be toppled by the Arab Spring revolts.

He was viewed by some as a bulwark against Islamist extremism, but faced criticism for muzzling the opposition.

Driven out by protests, Ben Ali fled Tunisia for Saudi Arabia, where he died in exile in 2019, aged 83.

Ben Ali himself was sentenced several times to life in prison, including for the bloody suppression of protests in the last weeks of his autocratic rule.