A Tunisian court has sentenced four potential presidential candidates to eight months in prison and banned them from running in the upcoming October 6 election due to vote-buying charges. This decision is viewed by critics as an attempt to eliminate strong competitors to President Kais Saied.
The ruling impacts prominent politician Abdel Latif Mekki, activist Nizar Chaari, Judge Mourad Massoudi, and another candidate, Adel Dou. This has sparked concerns among opposition parties, candidates, and human rights groups, who argue that arbitrary restrictions and intimidation are being used to ensure Saied’s re-election. Ahmed Nafatti, Mekki’s campaign manager, denounced the decision as unfair, accusing it of excluding serious contenders from the race. Despite this, Mekki’s campaign intends to submit his candidacy papers. Chaari also criticized the verdict, describing it as a shocking attempt to prevent their candidacy following a series of restrictions.
In a related incident, a separate court sentenced prominent Saied opponent Abir Moussi to two years in prison on charges of insulting the election commission. Last month, another potential candidate, Lotfi Mraihi, received an eight-month prison sentence and a ban on running in the presidential elections for similar vote-buying charges.
President Saied, who was elected in 2019, dissolved parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree, which the opposition labeled a coup. Opposition parties, many of whose leaders are imprisoned, accuse Saied’s government of exerting pressure on the judiciary to target his rivals in the 2024 elections to secure a second term. Saied denies these accusations, asserting there are no restrictions on potential candidates.
Additionally, at least four other prominent potential candidates reported a new requirement to submit their police records for registration, which the interior ministry has refused to provide. They allege that authorities are attempting to revert Tunisia to the era of dictatorship and sham elections that preceded the 2011 revolution. The interior ministry has not commented on these allegations.
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