Tunisian police arrest Presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel as election concerns grow

Tunisian police arrested presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel on Monday, according to a member of his campaign.

This move has raised concerns among rights groups and opposition about possible exclusion of key rivals to President Kais Saied from the race.

The electoral commission is expected to announce the final list of accepted candidates for the October 6 presidential elections.

Mahdi Abdel Jawad reported that police arrested Zammel at his home around 3:00 a.m. on allegations of falsifying endorsements, claiming the move is “absurd and aimed at excluding him from the election.”

The electoral commission and the interior ministry have not yet commented.

Last week, the Administrative Court reinstated three candidates—Mondher Znaidi, AbdelLatif Mekki, and Imed Daimi—after their initial candidacies were rejected.

They now join Ayachi Zammel, Zouhair Maghzaoui, and President Kais Saied on the list of accepted candidates.

Electoral commission head Farouk Bouasker stated that the commission would review the Administrative Court’s decision and other judicial rulings before finalizing the candidate list.

This remark has sparked widespread concern among rights groups and politicians, who worry it signals a potential exclusion of the three reinstated candidates. They accuse the commission of no longer being independent and aiming to secure an easy win for President Saied.

The commission denies these claims, asserting its neutrality. Tunisian constitutional law experts have warned that failing to adhere to the court’s decision could undermine the election’s credibility.

 In response, political parties and human rights groups have called for a protest near the election headquarters on Monday to demand the implementation of the court’s ruling and to challenge what they view as “arbitrary restrictions” and intimidation.