A Tunisian court has sentenced presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel to six months in prison on charges of falsifying documents, his lawyer confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday. This marks the second prison sentence against Zammel within a week, just days before the country’s highly anticipated presidential election. Last week, Zammel received a 20-month prison sentence for allegedly falsifying popular endorsements, which his defense team denounced as politically motivated.
The court’s decision has intensified concerns about the fairness of the upcoming election, with opposition parties and civil society groups accusing the Tunisian government of attempting to rig the vote to ensure President Kais Saied remains in power. Zammel’s lawyer, Abdessattar Massoudi, condemned the ruling, calling it a “farce” designed to weaken Zammel’s candidacy and limit competition against the incumbent president. “We will defend his right to the last minute,” Massoudi vowed.
Zammel is one of only three candidates admitted to the presidential race, alongside President Saied and Zouhair Magzhaoui. Political tensions in Tunisia have been rising in the lead-up to the October 6 election, particularly after the Saied-appointed electoral commission disqualified three other prominent candidates earlier this month. The disqualifications sparked protests from opposition groups and civil society, who fear the process has been compromised to benefit the current administration.
As Tunisia, which was once seen as a beacon of democracy in the Arab world, heads into this pivotal election, the political landscape remains fraught with uncertainty. Many observers worry that the escalating tension could further erode democratic processes in the North African nation, as accusations of judicial manipulation and electoral rigging mount.
