Judge orders detention of Tunisian presidential election candidate Zammel

A Tunisian judge ordered on Wednesday the imprisonment of presidential election candidate Ayachi Zammel pending a trial on Thursday, his lawyer Saber Abidi told The National.

One of only two remaining candidates standing against incumbent president Kais Saied in the upcoming October 6 presidential race, Mr Zammel was arrested on Monday morning on several charges relating to the falsification of voter signatures endorsing his campaign.

Another member of his electoral campaign and his Azimoun party has been detained and is awaiting trial on September 19.

The Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) announced on Monday that it had rejected rulings by the Administrative Court to reinstate three candidates.

ISIE President Farouk Bouasker has accused opposition presidential hopefuls of using manipulation, falsification and bribery to get voter signatures.

Members of Mr Zammel’s defence team told journalists in a press conference on Tuesday that he will not be withdrawing from the race, even if he is behind bars.

“We will campaign whether Ayachi Zammel is with us or under arrest, and we will continue the campaign until October 5,” lawyer Ramzi Jebali said.

Defence lawyer Dalila Ben Mbarek Msaddek also denounced ISIE’s handling of Mr Zammel's candidacy and condemned what she described as “continuous harassment that intends to push him to withdraw from the elections”. Mr Zammel’s participation in the election could be in doubt in light of his continuing trial.