Tunisia jails presidential candidate Zammel for 12 years amid election

In Tunisia, Ayachi Zammel, a presidential candidate, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison amid allegations of voter endorsement fraud. His lawyer, Abdessater Massoudi, reported that this is the third prison sentence Zammel has received in just two weeks, raising concerns about the fairness of the electoral process. Zammel, who leads a small liberal party, was previously sentenced to six months for using a fraudulent certificate and 20 months for falsifying signatures required for his candidacy. Zammel's legal troubles began shortly after he was confirmed as a candidate for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for October 6. His arrest on September 2 occurred just before the electoral authority announced his candidacy, suggesting a politically motivated effort to undermine his campaign. The situation has sparked fears among opposition and civil society groups regarding the integrity of the election, with many believing it may be rigged to ensure the current president, Kais Saied, remains in power. The electoral landscape in Tunisia has become increasingly tense, with the rejection of 14 other candidates by the electoral authority, leaving Zammel and Zouhair Maghzaoui as the only challengers to Saied. The incumbent president, who took office in 2019, has faced criticism for consolidating power since a controversial power grab in 2021, which included shutting down parliament and ruling by decree. Zammel's situation reflects broader issues of political repression in Tunisia, where several opposition figures have been jailed, raising alarms about the future of democracy in the country.