Tunisian Presidential Candidate Receives Second Prison Sentence in a Week

Tunisian presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel has been sentenced to six months in prison for falsifying documents, his second sentence in a week. Zammel, one of only three candidates approved to run in the election, alongside incumbent President Kais Saied and Zouhair Magzhaoui, was only just sentenced to 20 months last week for falsifying popular endorsements. His lawyer, Abdessattar Massoudi, condemned the verdict as unjust and claimed it is aimed at weakening Zammel’s candidacy. The ruling has intensified concerns among opposition and civil society groups about the fairness of the election, with fears that it could be rigged to secure Saied’s re-election. Zammel’s sentencing comes amid rising tension in the North African country, where youths recently took to the streets to protest Saied’s high-handedness.

SOURCE: REUTERS