Mahdia (Business Emerge), September 6: Tunisian presidential hopeful Ayachi Zammel was released from police custody on Friday, following his second arrest in a week. Zammel had initially been detained on Monday due to allegations of voter form falsification. Although he was ordered to be freed on Thursday, he was immediately taken into custody once more. His release on Friday came after a court decision, with his case now adjourned until September 19.
Zammel is one of three contenders officially approved by Tunisia’s electoral commission to run in the upcoming presidential election on October 6. Critics, however, argue that the election is skewed in favor of incumbent President Kais Saied, raising concerns about the fairness of the electoral process.
Supporters of Zammel, including campaign member Mahdi Abdel Jawad, have referred to his re-arrest as a form of “kidnapping,” asserting that the candidate is being targeted because of his potential to pose a serious challenge to Saied. Zammel himself has denied the accusations and insists he is being subjected to intimidation tactics. He has pledged to restore democracy, secure freedoms, and address Tunisia’s ongoing economic crisis.
The electoral requirements mandate that each candidate must collect signatures from at least 10,000 supporters to qualify for the race. Zammel stands accused of forging these voter forms, a charge he denies. Alongside Zammel, politician Zouhair Maghzaoui is also running against Saied in what opposition parties claim is a highly controlled election.
Political opposition and human rights groups have accused the current government of placing arbitrary restrictions on candidates, with many arguing that Saied’s leadership has reversed the democratic advancements achieved during Tunisia’s 2011 revolution. Elected in 2019, President Saied consolidated power through a series of decrees beginning in 2021, a move opposition figures describe as a coup.