Tunisia's interim government has asked Saudi Arabia whether former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who obtained asylum in the Gulf kingdom was still alive, in case demanding his extradition following "new charges against the ousted president for serious crimes," the official press agency TAP reported on Sunday.

Speculations have been spread about that the former president died of cerebral hemorrhage in a Saudi hospital a few days ago. However, no official confirmation from Saudi was available until now.

Tunisian official television on Saturday showed a footage of stacks of foreign currency and diamonds seized by the anti- corruption commission in the ousted president's residence in north of Tunisia, and more than 3,000 strong anti -government protestors on Sunday demanded the resignation of prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi, as well as called for the setting up of a parliamentary system in the country.