Zammel, who was arrested on Monday for allegedly falsifying endorsements, is one of three candidates approved for the election, alongside Saied and politician Zouhair Maghzaoui.
Zammel has vehemently denied the charges, claiming that his detention stems from “restrictions and intimidation” due to his strong candidacy against Saied.
His lawyer, Kais Oueslati, confirmed that the prosecutor has decided to keep Zammel in custody until trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
This development follows the electoral commission’s recent defiance of a court order to reinstate three prominent candidates in the upcoming election.
Protests have erupted from rights groups, political parties, and constitutional law experts, who view the decision as an unprecedented action that undermines the legitimacy and legality of Tunisia’s upcoming election.
President Kais Saied, initially elected in 2019, has faced accusations of staging a coup when he consolidated power in 2021.
Saied denies this, asserting that his measures were legal and aimed at ending years of chaos and corruption, and he has vowed not to cede power to “non-patriots”.
The election campaign is scheduled to start on September 14, with critics urging Saied’s rivals to withdraw, labeling the vote as a sham.
They accuse the electoral commission of losing its independence and solely aiming to secure Saied’s re-election.
The commission, however, rejects these claims, insisting it is impartial and merely enforcing the law.