After being sentenced to 35 years in prison and fined $65.6 million last week, former Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was sentenced to an additional 15 years and six months in prison today, according to Reuters. A Tunisian court gave the ruling on illegal possession of drugs and weapons charges in absentia Monday. The extra six months were added for illegal possession of archaeological artifacts. Ben Ali's lawyers walked out of the courtroom and declared the whole process a sham when the judge refused to acknowledge a petition asking for another delay in the trial so Ben Ali could return to Tunisia. He is currently in Saudi Arabia. 

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at connorbsimpson at gmail dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.