On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, Zammel received a cumulative 12-year prison term from the criminal chamber at the Tunis 2 Court of First Instance, following convictions in four cases involving falsified sponsorships. According to a court spokesperson, he has also been banned from voting.
An industrialist largely unknown to the public prior to his candidacy, Zammel was arrested on September 2 on suspicion of providing false sponsorships. Although the Manouba Court in the outskirts of Tunis released him on September 6, he was immediately re-arrested under orders from the Jendouba Court for similar charges.
On September 2, the Tunisian electoral authority (ISIE) published a “final” list of candidates for the presidential election, which included Zammel, incumbent President Kais Saied, and Zouhair Maghzaoui, a 59-year-old former member of parliament who supported the presidential coup in the summer of 2021.
In light of these developments, Ayachi Zammel’s lawyer, Abdessattar Messaoudi, announced that the defense team would explore all legal avenues, including international justice, to advocate for their client’s cause.
The European Union has condemned the ongoing attacks on democracy in Tunisia following Zammel’s arrest and the exclusion of other candidates, expressing concern over decisions that limit the options available to Tunisian citizens. “The latest developments illustrate a continued restriction of the democratic space in Tunisia,” a spokesperson for the EU diplomatic service stated.
RT/Sf/te/fss/abj/APA