Tunisian presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel vows to campaign from prison, determined to challenge incumbent
Tunisian presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel, sentenced to 20 months in prison on fraud charges, has vowed to continue his campaign from behind bars, reaffirming his determination to run in next month’s election. Despite facing multiple charges, Zammel remains a key challenger to incumbent President Kais Saied in the country’s highly anticipated October 6 election.
On Wednesday evening, a court in Jendouba sentenced Zammel, leader of Tunisia’s Azimoun party, for falsifying signatures on his presidential candidacy papers. His lawyer, Abdessattar Messaoudi, dismissed the ruling as politically motivated, claiming that the judicial action was part of a broader strategy to stifle political opposition.
“This is no surprise. We expected such a ruling given the harassment he has been subjected to since announcing his candidacy,” Messaoudi told The Associated Press, expressing confidence that Zammel’s political aspirations would not be derailed by the sentence.
Zammel’s determination is emblematic of the resilience of several opposition candidates facing criminal charges ahead of the election. Tunisia’s courts recently sentenced two other candidates, Nizar Chaari and Karim Gharbi, on similar signature fraud accusations. Meanwhile, Abdellatif El Mekki, another reinstated candidate, was arrested in connection with a 2014 case that critics argue is politically motivated.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have voiced concerns over what they describe as a crackdown on political freedoms in the lead-up to the election. Amnesty labeled the recent wave of arrests and prosecutions as “a clear pre-election assault on the pillars of human rights and the rule of law.”
Despite these challenges, Zammel’s team remains optimistic about his prospects, with Messaoudi affirming that the campaign will push forward, albeit from prison. This defiance reflects the broader will of opposition leaders seeking to challenge Saied’s government and reassert Tunisia’s democratic values.
Zammel is one of two key candidates opposing Saied in what is expected to be a closely watched election, with voters eager to see how these political developments unfold.
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