Tunisia issued an international arrest warrant for ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, as protesters clashed with police on Wednesday and US President Barack Obama hailed the "will of the people". Ben Ali, his wife Leila Trabelsi and other members of his once all-powerful family are accused of illegally acquiring assets and transferring funds abroad during the leader's 23-year rule, Justice Minister Lazhar Karoui Chebbi said.
"No one will be above the law," Chebbi said. Ben Ali has fled to Saudi Arabia and 33 members of his extended family have been arrested in Tunisia. France and Switzerland earlier said they will freeze any Ben Ali assets. The minister also said the head of Ben Ali's presidential security force and five others were being investigated for violence following his ouster.
The announcements came as tensions mounted ahead of a radical cabinet revamp expected to be announced soon, with thousands of people taking to the streets in Tunisia's second biggest city, Sfax, during a general strike there. "The reshuffle will be announced later today or tomorrow. We are still in consultations," Regional Development Minister Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, a former opposition leader, said on a talk show on state television.
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