Tunisia has decided to lift an international arrest warrant issued in October against Suha Arafat, the widow of the late Palestinian leader, a judicial spokesman said.

“The magistrate in charge of the case decided to lift the warrant against Mrs Arafat,” justice ministry spokesman Kadhem Zine el Abidine said, without giving any reasons for the move.

Yasser Arafat’s widow was wanted over alleged corruption dating back to 2007, when she founded the Carthage Inter-national School in Tunis with the country’s much-vilified former first lady Leila Trabelsi. But the two women later fell out and Suha Arafat was subsequently stripped of her Tunisian citizenship in 2007. She currently lives in Malta.

Tunisia’s judiciary alleged that the school was created illegally and for personal interests, but Mrs Arafat had vehemently denied any corruption allegations.

“I think the judge realised that Mrs Arafat was not involved in this affair,” her lawyer said.

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