The Criminal Chamber of the Jendouba, Court of First Instance, issued a six-month prison sentence on Wednesday September 25 for presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel, convicting him of using false testimony. This new ruling follows a prior sentence of 20 months handed down a week earlier for falsifying documents, according to his lawyer.
The conviction comes just days ahead of Tunisia’s October 6 presidential election, which has already faced criticism from the opposition and civil society, who claim the process is rigged in favor of incumbent President Kaïs Saïed, running for re-election.
In addition to Zammel’s sentence, the court also sentenced another individual to eight months in prison for fabricating a testimony to support Zammel’s campaign. Zammel’s lawyer, Abdessattar Massoudi, denounced the rulings as “unfair” and a “farce,” vowing to continue the legal fight.
Zammel, leader of the opposition Azimoun party, was arrested two weeks ago over allegations of falsifying endorsements—charges he denies. He is one of three remaining candidates in the election, alongside President Kaïs Saïed and Zouhair Magzhaoui. Earlier this month, Tunisia’s electoral commission disqualified three other candidates.
Kaïs Saïed, who was democratically elected in 2019, dissolved parliament in 2021, dismissed the government, and has since governed by decree. He has defended his actions as necessary for combating corruption, stating that he would not relinquish control to “unpatriotic” forces.