Tunisian Candidate Ayachi Zammel Sentenced for Fraud

Ayachi Zammel, a presidential candidate in Tunisia, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison on fraud charges that he claims are politically motivated, escalating concerns over the legitimacy of the October 6 election. Arrested two weeks prior, Zammel was convicted of falsifying voter signatures, with his lawyer arguing that this ruling aims to undermine his campaign against President Kais Saied, who has been accused of suppressing political opposition. The electoral commission, appointed by Saied, has disqualified several candidates and faced criticism for defying Tunisia's administrative court, which raises further questions about the election's fairness. Rights groups and civil liberties advocates have condemned this crackdown as indicative of Tunisia's democratic backslide. Zammel intends to continue his campaign from prison, maintaining that he faces harassment due to his candidacy. Other political figures have similarly faced imprisonment in the lead-up to the election, heightening fears of a rigged process designed to secure Saied's power.