Tunisian presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel re-arrested as election draws close
The president of the Tunisian opposition movement "AZIMOUN", Ayachi Zammel, 47 old, a chemical engineer and former deputy of the National Assembly, has announced during a press conference in Tunis on July 16,2024 his candidacy for the next presidential elections, scheduled for October 6, 2024. Mohamed Hammi/Sipa Press//HAMMI_SIPA.6592/Credit:Mohamed Hammi/SIPA/2407161622
Tunisian police re-arrested presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel late on Thursday, just minutes after he was released from jail on a judge’s order, according to his lawyers.
Zammel is one of three approved candidates for the upcoming October 6 presidential election, which opposition critics claim is rigged in favour of President Kais Saied.
The opposition figurel, initially arrested on Monday over allegations of falsifying voter forms, denies the charges.
Each candidate is required to submit forms signed by 10,000 supporters to qualify for the election. Mahdi Abdel Jawad, a member of Zammel’s campaign, told Reuters that Zammel was “kidnapped” by members of the National Guard and taken to an undisclosed location immediately after his release from Borj El Amri prison.
His lawyer, Abdessatar Massoudi and Dalila Ben Mbarek, confirmed the re-arrest, describing it as a violation of judicial orders. Alongside Zammel and Saied, politician Zouhair Maghzaoui is also approved to run in the October 6 election.
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Zammel has claimed that he faces “restrictions and intimidation” due to his strong competition against Saied. He has pledged to restore democracy, protect freedoms, and address Tunisia’s economic crisis.
President Saied, who was democratically elected in 2019, has faced criticism for consolidating power and ruling by decree since 2021, moves that opposition parties describe as a coup. Major political factions argue that Saied’s rule has eroded the democratic progress recorded since Tunisia’s 2011 revolution.
Human rights groups and opposition parties have accused authorities of imposing arbitrary restrictions to ensure Saied’s re-election.
