Summary:

On 18 September 2024, the Court of Jendouba sentenced the head of Azimoun party and presidential candidate, Ayachi Zammel, to one year and eight months in prison on two counts of falsifying election-related documents. 

One case is related to providing falsified certificates including misleading information. The second case concerns charges of falsifying electoral sponsorships.  

Zammel has been detained since 2 September 2024 for investigation, after having already been summoned for questioning regarding allegations of suspicious electoral sponsorships on 14 August 2024.  

Two members of the Azimoun party and Zammel’s electoral campaign faced the same accusations and were also sentenced to one year and eight months. 

Outlook: 

The case against Zammel will likely not preclude his participation in the election as the Independent Higher Election Authority (ISIE) has already included his name on final list of candidates published prior to the court decision. 

However, Zammel will be prevented from campaigning and forced to delegate campaign activities to others which will severely hinder his effort to garner votes.  

This case is one of several factors currently increasing political tension in Tunisia as many opposition politicians and commentators are framing it as an attempt by the current administration to exclude candidates from the election and pave a certain road to a second term for President Saied.  

As the number of imprisoned or banned candidates grows, a growing number of international and domestic voices are claiming that President will lack legitimacy even if he wins re-election. This dynamic could create a fraught post-election environment if the opposition rallies to express their frustration with the electoral process. 

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