TUNIS, Tunisia — Ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali says he was tricked into leaving Tunisia six months ago, setting the stage for the revolution that inspired the Arab Spring rippling across the region ever since.
Ben Ali appeared to flee to Saudi Arabia on Jan. 14 after mass protests against 23 years of rule in which he, his wife and their family built stakes in the nation’s biggest businesses and accumulated vast fortunes.
In a statement issued by his lawyers, he said his security chief told him “friendly” foreign intelligence services had uncovered a plot to assassinate him.
He said he was persuaded to fly with his wife and children to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the intention of returning immediately. “But after his arrival in Jeddah, the plane returned to Tunisia without waiting for him, contrary to his orders,” the statement read.