Tunisian Presidential Candidate Arrested Amid Pre-Election Turmoil

Tunisian presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel was arrested by police early Monday on suspicion of falsifying popular endorsements. This development has sparked concerns that prominent rivals to President Kais Saied may be excluded from the upcoming presidential election. Zammel's campaign team criticized the arrest, suggesting it was an attempt to exclude him from the election. The electoral commission is yet to comment on the incident.

The arrest comes at a critical time as the electoral commission prepares to announce the final list of candidates for the October 6 presidential elections. Last week, the Administrative Court reinstated three prominent candidates, Mondher Znaidi, AbdelLatif Mekki, and Imed Daimi, after their candidacies were initially rejected by the electoral commission. The head of the electoral commission, Farouk Bouasker, indicated that the commission would review these judicial decisions before finalizing the candidate list. This move has led to widespread anger among rights groups and politicians, who argue that the commission is no longer independent and aims to ensure an easy victory for President Saied.