A Tunisian court has sentenced presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel to six months in prison for falsifying documents, his lawyer Abdessattar Massoudi confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday. This marks the second prison sentence against Zammel in a week, coming just days before the country’s presidential election scheduled for October 6.
The verdict has intensified political tensions in Tunisia, with opposition and civil society groups expressing concerns about the potential for a rigged election aimed at maintaining President Kais Saied’s grip on power.
Last week, Zammel received a 20-month prison sentence on charges of falsifying popular endorsements. His lawyer decried the latest ruling, stating, “It is another unjust ruling and a farce that clearly aims to weaken him in the election race, but we will defend his right to the last minute.”
Zammel is one of only three candidates admitted to compete for the presidency, alongside incumbent Saied and Zouhair Magzhaoui. The limited field of candidates has raised eyebrows, particularly after an electoral commission appointed by Saied disqualified three prominent candidates earlier this month, sparking protests from opposition groups and civil society organizations.
The back-to-back convictions of Zammel have fueled suspicions about the integrity of the electoral process. Critics argue that these legal actions against a presidential candidate so close to the election date could be politically motivated, potentially undermining the fairness of the upcoming polls.
