An Egyptian newspaper has reported that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood has called on Saudi Arabia to extradite Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to Tunisian authorities for trial. According to a report in Al-Masry Al-Youm:
The reformist wing of the Muslim Brotherhood called on Saudi Arabia to extradite toppled Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to Tunisian authorities so he could be fairly tried. “We were shocked by the Saudi statement citing humanitarian reasons for receiving the former Tunisian president. Saudi authorities provided him a palace for accommodation after other countries, including France, refused him entry,” said the group’s statement. “Muslims regard Saudi Arabia as an Islamic symbol of justice in the world in supporting the oppressed and punishing criminals, not providing the latter with shelter under the name of Islam and humanity,” added the statement. “Where were these values when the tyrant was killing his people and fighting against Islam’s values, Arab and Islamic governments were just watching,” the statement read. “We call on the rational Saudi government to respond to Arab and Islamic peoples’ demands of handing over Ben Ali, his supporters and his family to Tunisian authorities for a fair trial.” The statement also called for confiscating the money and property of the president and his associates, as well as compelling him to apologize to Tunisian, Arab and Islamic peoples for his deeds.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood can be considered to be the “mother” organization of what is referred to in these pages as the Global Muslim Brotherhood which developed as Muslim Brothers fleeing Egypt settled in Europe and the United States, as well as other places, throughout the years. The global network has since eclipsed the Egyptian organization as evidenced by global Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi’s decision to turn down the leadership of the Egyptian organization when it was offered to him in 2004.