Tunisian presidential candidate Zammel was re-arrested shortly after being released from detention

On Friday morning, the Tunisian government rearrested presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel on charges of electoral fraud, shortly after his release from detention. According to the state news agency TAP, Zammel, who was initially taken into custody on Monday for allegedly falsifying voter forms, was released by a judge on Thursday. However, he was promptly re-arrested immediately after his release from Borj El Amri prison.

Zammel is one of three candidates approved by Tunisia’s electoral commission for the presidential election scheduled for October 6. Critics of the election process argue that it is skewed in favor of the incumbent, President Kais Saied. Zammel faces accusations of falsifying voter forms required for election qualification, as each candidate must submit forms signed by 10,000 supporters. He has denied these allegations, claiming that the charges are part of a broader effort to discredit him.

Zammel contends that he is being subjected to restrictions and intimidation due to his significant challenge to Saied. He has vowed to restore democracy, protect freedoms, and address Tunisia’s deteriorating economy. President Saied, elected in 2019, has since consolidated power, ruling by decree from 2021, which opposition groups have denounced as a coup. Major political factions believe that Saied’s tenure has undermined the democratic achievements of Tunisia’s 2011 revolution.

Opposition parties and human rights organizations accuse the authorities of implementing arbitrary measures to ensure Saied’s re-election. In addition to Zammel and Saied, politician Zouhair Maghzaoui is also approved to participate in the upcoming election.