Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was the President of Tunisia from 1987 until he was ousted during the Arab Spring uprising in 2011. Initially seen as a reformer, his government became increasingly authoritarian, marked by political repression and corruption. His rule sparked widespread protests against unemployment and human rights abuses. In January 2011, as protests grew, he fled to Saudi Arabia, which marked the beginning of significant political changes in Tunisia and inspired similar movements across the Arab world. Ben Ali is often cited as an example of the struggle against autocratic regimes in the region.