Barran Press
Tunis, Tunisia - Tunisian police arrested presidential candidate Ayachi Zamaal on Monday, September 2, 2024, just hours before the electoral commission was set to announce the final list of candidates for the upcoming election scheduled for October 6.
Reuters reported that a member of Zamaal's campaign confirmed the arrest, stating that police apprehended him early Monday morning. The arrest comes amidst growing concerns from human rights groups and opposition parties about the potential exclusion of prominent contenders from the race against President Kais Saied.
Mehdi Abdel Jawad, a member of Zamaal's campaign, said that police arrested him from his home at 3 am on suspicion of forging popular endorsements. He described the arrest as "absurd" and aimed at eliminating Zamaal from the election.
Neither the electoral commission nor the Ministry of Interior has issued an immediate comment on the arrest.
Out of 17 initial applications, the electoral commission initially accepted the candidacies of three individuals: incumbent President Kais Saied, Secretary-General of the People's Movement, Zohr El-Magzawi, and President of the Azimoun Movement, Ayachi Zamaal. However, the commission later reinstated the candidacies of Monzer Znaidi, Abdel Latif Mekki, and Imad Daimi, bringing the total number of contenders to six.