The Tunisian opposition candidate, failed candidate in the presidential elections of October 6 in Tunisia, Ayachi Zammel, was sentenced, on Friday, October 11, to new prison terms, which increase the sentences against him for crimes to more than twenty years in prison. prison. sponsorships.
“The Court of First Instance of Siliana (center) convicted Ayachi Zammel in four different cases related to sponsorships, with a sentence of one year and eight months in prison for each case”his lawyer, Abdessatar Messaoudi, announced to Agence France-Presse (AFP). “Despite President Saïed’s victory, harsh sentences continue to be handed down against Mr. Zammel”for a cumulative total of twenty years and ten months, he lamented.
Mr. Zammel, a 47-year-old industrialist, detained since the beginning of September – which prevented him from campaigning – obtained only 7.35% of the votes in the elections that he won comfortably (90.7% of the votes) on Sunday by the outgoing president, Kaïs Saïed, in a context of record abstention (barely 29% participation).
The other candidate authorized to compete, a former member of the pan-Arabist left, Zouhair Maghzaoui, who in the summer of 2021 supported a coup d’état by President Saïed – accused of authoritarian drift – only obtained 1.97% of the votes.
“Continuous limitation of democratic space”
At the beginning of October, Mr. Zammel, unknown until recently to the general public, had already been sentenced to twelve years in prison in four cases related to sponsorships by a court in Tunisia, after having been sentenced to twenty-six months in Two separate trials were held in Jendouba (northwest) in September. In total, 37 different proceedings were initiated against him in all governorates (regions), according to Mr.my Messaoudi.
According to experts, it was especially difficult to obtain sponsorship for these elections. It took 10,000 signatures from voters, 10 endorsements from parliamentarians or 40 elected officials from local authorities. Mr Zammel, a former MP, was arrested on September 2, the same day the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) confirmed his candidacy. Left-wing groups and figures close to the old parliamentary majority offered their support.
On September 5, the European Union deplored “a continued limitation of the democratic space in Tunisia”in reaction to Zammel’s arrest and the ISIE’s exclusion of three other candidates considered particularly dangerous for Saïed. Brussels had “repentant” decisions that result in “Limit the range of options of Tunisian citizens”also deploring other arrests and convictions in recent months of political figures who were among possible candidates for the elections. Tunisian and foreign NGOs criticize a candidate selection process “biased in favor of Mr. Saïed”.
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