Tunisia's ousted ex-leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali was in a hospital in Saudi Arabia for treatment, according to sources close to the Saudi royal family.
Sources told the German Press Agency dpa that Ben Ali was ill and being treated a hospital in Saudi Arabia, but did not give details to his condition or what he was being treated for.
Meanwhile, rumours were swirling in Tunisia that Ben Ali had been rushed to hospital in Saudi Arabia after suffering a malaise. The rumours were first reported by French journalist Nicolas Beau, who has written several books about the autocratic president of 23 years.
On his blog, Beau quoted unnamed sources in Tunisia close to the Ben Ali family as saying the 74-year-old ex-president had suffered a stroke and was in a coma in a hospital in Jeddah.
Ben Ali went into exile on January 14 in Saudi Arabia, following a month of street protests over his corrupt, repressive rule.
The unity government in charge of overseeing the country's transition to democracy refused to comment on the reports, saying it did not comment on "rumours."
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