Tunisia's Ben Ali: Soldier who turned into dictator

The 74-year-old does not face humiliation of standing in the dock to answer charges that will initially cover possession of drugs and weapons, and are expected to later extend to murder and torture.

Any eventual sentence will be symbolic for the man who appears in official portraits with a benevolent smile and jet black hair, and won a fifth term in 2009 with around 90 percent of the votes.

A career soldier, Ben Ali took power on November 7, 1987 when he toppled Habib Bourguiba, the ailing father of Tunisian independence who was by then reported to be senile.

Tunisians, including Islamists, hailed his bloodless, non-violent takeover.

He went on to make Tunisia a moderate voice in the Arab world while Western governments viewed him as an effective bulwark against Islamist extremism.

He began his rule encouragingly, scrapping the title of "president for life" created by Bourguiba and limiting the number of presidential terms to three.

He launched a "solidarity" policy, creating a special fund for the underprivileged and a social security system, while pursuing the promotion of education and women's rights.

But he consolidated his rule by muzzling the opposition, keeping strong control of the media and armed forces and gradually extending the number of terms he was allowed to serve under the constitution.

Ben Ali was born into a modest family in the east-central town of Hammam-Sousse on September 3, 1936 when Tunisia was still a French protectorate.

He studied at military academies in both France and the United States and was appointed minister for national security in 1985, moving up to the interior ministry the following year and the post of prime minister in 1987.

Ben Ali promised a move towards democracy when he became president, organising the country's first multi-candidate presidential election in 1999 - and winning it with an official 99.44 per cent of the vote.

In May 2002 he held a referendum to change the constitution so he could serve a fourth term; a second such change allowed for an unlimited number of mandates.

He was fond of telling foreign leaders that Tunisia, a major mass-market tourist destination for Europeans, "does not have any lessons to receive" about human rights.

But rights groups regularly condemned his government, which they said held hundreds of political prisoners, although he denied this.

The revolt that toppled him was triggered in December by the self-immolation of a young man in the destitute centre of the country.

The snowballing uprising first focussed on joblessness but took on a political dimension, fuelled by anger after a crackdown that left scores dead.

Ben Ali made several attempts at conciliation including the creation of 300,000 new jobs, the sacking of his interior minister, the release of detained demonstrators and a pledge to not stand for re-election in 2014.

But the mood was unforgiving and he eventually fled with his wife Leila Trabelsi, his downfall igniting revolts across the Arab world.

Prosecutors are compiling around 90 cases against the corruption-accused strongman and his entourage, whose assets have been frozen or seized in Europe.

The allegations range from drugs and weapons trafficking to murder and torture, and some are to be heard by a military court.

He has six children, three daughters by a first marriage and two daughters and a son by Trabelsi.

A relative said in February that he had suffered a stroke in Saudi Arabia, which has not responded to Tunisia's requests for his extradition.