A Tunisian court on Wednesday ordered the detention of presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel, who is under investigation for alleged ballot signature forgery, according to his lawyers. Zammel, 43, is one of only two candidates approved by the electoral authority, ISIE, to run against President Kais Saied in the October 6 election. His lawyers stated on Facebook that Zammel was questioned in several cases related to presidential endorsement charges, leading to his remand by the public prosecution. Zammel, a former parliamentarian and businessman, led the small liberal party Azimoun until August when he resigned to campaign as an independent. His arrest occurred just before ISIE released the final list of candidates, which included himself, Saied, and former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui. Saied, who is seeking re-election, gained power in 2019 and has since consolidated his authority through decrees.
On the same day, Human Rights Watch called on ISIE to reverse its decision and cease political interference in the election, stating that the current environment undermines the right to free and fair elections. HRW reported that at least eight potential candidates have faced prosecution or imprisonment ahead of the vote. In response to these developments, nine political parties and rights groups formed the Tunisian Network for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms. ISIE's final candidate list excluded three others who had previously appealed their disqualification. These included Imed Daimi, Mondher Zenaidi, and Abdellatif Mekki, all of whom had potential to challenge Saied. Last month, ISIE had dismissed 14 contenders due to insufficient endorsements. Tunisia's largest union, UGTT, criticized ISIE's disregard for court rulings as a political and illegal act.
