The BBC has found audio recordings of what is thought to be the phone calls of the ex-president of Tunisia, Zeynel Abidin Ben Ali, who was overthrown in early 2011, while fleeing the country by plane. These records reveal how the authority of Ben Ali, who ruled the country for 23 years under a dictatorship, was destroyed. On the one hand, this escape changed the fate of Tunisia, on the other hand, it sparked the spread of the pro-democracy protest wave called the “Arab Spring” to a wide geography.
The recordings were forensic analyzed by audio experts and found no signs of tampering or additions.
Zeynel Abidin Ben Ali, who fled his country in 2011, died in exile in 2019. But the BBC played the seized audio recordings to those who knew the people involved, and they also supported the view that the recordings were authentic, assuming that the voices were real. However, some of the people named also express strong doubts about the authenticity of the recordings.
The recordings, if genuine, provide a unique resource for reflecting the mood of Ben Ali in the last 48 hours of his regime.
The audio recordings, some parts of which are published below, begin on January 13, 2011.
‘You’re amazing, here’s the Ben Ali we’ve been waiting for!’
The first is a conversation that Ben Ali had with a relative thought to be the big media mogul Tariq Bin Ammar.
Earlier that day, Ben Ali had tried to calm the mass demonstrations by giving a televised address to the nation.
Economic woes and widespread dissatisfaction with decades of authoritarian rule had turned into mass demonstrations weeks ago after a young hawker, Mohammed Bouazizi, set himself on fire in December 2010 in the town of Sidi Buzid when he was prevented from selling.
On January 13, 2011, nearly 100 people lost their lives during the demonstrations that overflowed to the streets of the capital.
But in the audio recordings, we listen to Ben Ali being praised by Bin Ammar.
Bin Amman “You’re amazing. This is the Bin Ali we’ve been waiting for!” says.
Ben Ali, on the other hand, does not seem so confident in his unclear answer.
But Bin Ammar continues his encouraging speech, saying, “Not at all. It’s a historic turn. You are a man of the people. You know their language well,” he says, possibly referring to Ben Ali’s televised speech that day.
Ben Ali then laughs as if relieved. However, it is understood that his speech to the Tunisian public was not enough to stop the demonstrations. The next day, the demonstrations get bigger and crowds surround the Ministry of Interior.
Preparations are being made for Ben Ali’s family to be flown to Saudi Arabia for their safety, and Ben Ali records that he was persuaded to accompany them.
Bustle on the plane: Should I go back?
The content and timing of the recording that followed indicates that Ben Ali was on the plane.
Ben Ali is heard calling three people more hastily. These are thought to be Kamil Eltaif, the Minister of Defense, the Chief of the General Staff and his close circle.
Defense Minister Ridha Grira begins her conversation with the person who turns out to be, by asking about the latest situation in the field in Tunisia. Grira informs him that he has been replaced by an interim head of state.
Ben Ali asks Grira to repeat this information three times, then says he will be back in the country in a few hours.
Ben Ali then searches for someone the BBC thinks is Kamil Eltaif from his inner circle. He tells her that he met with the defense minister, reassuring him that things are under control.
Eltaif clearly corrects this false assumption of Ben Ali.
“No, no, no. The situation is rapidly changing and the military is understaffed,” he says.
Ben Ali interrupted him, “What advice do you have for me now, should I come back or not?” he asks. He repeats this question three more times to get a proper answer from Eltaif.
“Things are not going well,” Eltaif finally replies.
Ben Ali is then looking for the person we think is the Chief of General Staff, Rashid Ammar. Ammar can’t tell who the caller is from his voice at first. Ben Ali calls him “I am the head of state”.
Ammar reassures him, “Everything is fine.”
Ben Ali asks him the same question he posed to Eltaif. Should he return to Tunisia now? Rashid tells her that ‘it would be better for him to wait for a while’.
“We’ll let you know as soon as we think you can come, Mr. President,” he says.
Ben Ali is looking for the defense minister once again. She asks him if it would be right for him to return as well. This time, Grira is much more openly telling Ben Ali that he cannot guarantee his safety if he returns.
The pilot does not listen to the orders and returns to Tunisia
A little after midnight, Ben Ali’s plane lands in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ben Ali instructs the pilot to prepare for the return journey and is taken with his family to the guest house in King Faisal’s Palace.
However, the pilot did not comply with the instructions, leaving Ben Ali there and taking the plane and flying back to Tunisia.
Waking up the next morning in Saudi Arabia, Ben Ali is looking for the defense minister again. Grira admits that the administration has now lost control of the streets. He even says there were rumors of a coup d’etat against Ben Ali. Ben Ali describes this as “the work of the Islamists” and begins to talk about his return to the country.
At this stage, Grira speaks more clearly. “There’s an anger in the streets that I can’t describe,” he says. It seems that he is trying to explain the situation clearly to the head of state. “I don’t want to mislead you, the decision is yours.”
Ben Ali replies, “What did I do to a thousand streets. I served.”
Grira responds, “I’m giving you the situation, not the explanation.”
A new government is being formed in Tunisia within a few hours. Many ministers remain in the new government, including Defense Minister Grira.
As a result, Ben Ali never returned to his country and lived in Jeddah until his death in 2019.
Over a year of research by the BBC
Defense Minister Ridha Grira and Chief of Staff Rashid Ammar, contacted by the BBC, did not want to comment on the recordings. Ben Ali’s close friends Kamil Eltaif and Tariq Bin Ammar denied having had these conversations with Ben Ali. Bin Ammar also said he was not trying to praise the president for his administration.
The BBC spent over a year researching these recordings to check whether they were authentic.
The recordings were reviewed by a number of leading UK and US forensic analysts. These experts checked the recordings for tampering, deep forgery, or additions in various ways. No trace of such manipulation was found.
The BBC also played the relevant parts of the recordings to people who knew each of these people, in order to verify the identity of the people speaking in these recordings. Among those consulted were three senior officials of Ben Ali’s security organization, the leaders of his party, and even a voice actor imitating the president’s voice.
All these people said that the sounds in the recordings belonged to the people who were considered, and expressed no doubt about their authenticity.
Some other information also confirms the behind-the-scenes of these phone calls. For example, Defense Minister Grira and Chief of General Staff Ammar said that they met with the head of state while they were on the plane. Ammar’s recollections of these conversations almost match the content.
The recordings showed how the autocrat, who for 23 years led an oppressive, publicly fearful state apparatus, was bewildered in the last moments of his power and depended on instructions from his ministers.
Ben Ali, who was in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2011, was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia in the trial held in his country, being held responsible for the deaths of many people during the demonstrations during the revolution.
- On 17 December 2010, a young Tunisian hawker set himself on fire after being banned from selling on the street.
- His death in this action sparked mass demonstrations and more than 100 people died in the clashes.
- President Ben Ali addressed the public on television on January 13, 2011 and promised to take measures against the rise in food prices.
- The speeches did not pacify, and that evening Ben Ali boarded the plane to Saudi Arabia with his family.