Opposition silenced: Tunisia’s Zammel faces 35 years behind bars

Ayachi Zammel, a former candidate in Tunisia's October 6 presidential election, has been handed a new 32-month prison sentence, bringing his total imprisonment to 35 years, his lawyer told AFP on Monday.

The latest conviction, issued by the Manouba Court near Tunis, adds two years and eight months to his existing sentences, according to his lawyer, Abdessattar Messaoudi. Zammel, a 47-year-old entrepreneur and former leader of the small liberal party Azimoun, has been accused of forging signatures during the submission of his presidential candidacy.

According to Messaoudi, a total of 37 investigations have been launched against Zammel across Tunisia, each focused on individual alleged signature irregularities. Zammel has been in custody since September 2, when his candidacy was confirmed, preventing him from conducting a campaign.

Despite his detention, Zammel received 7.35% of the vote in the election, which was overwhelmingly won by incumbent President Kais Saied with 90.7% of the vote. The election saw a record-low turnout of less than 30%. Another candidate, Zouhair Maghzaoui, a former leftist deputy, secured just 1.97% of the vote.

Experts noted that the stringent rules for gathering voter endorsements made candidacy particularly challenging. The European Union criticized the election for its restrictive practices, citing the exclusion of three other candidates deemed a threat to President Saied by the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE). The EU also expressed concern over the "continued limitation of democratic space" in Tunisia.

Since his rise to power, President Kais Saied has faced increasing accusations of authoritarianism. In the past three years, over 20 opposition figures, along with union leaders, civil society activists, and journalists, have been arrested.

On July 25, 2021, Saied dissolved Parliament, dismissed the Prime Minister, and implemented constitutional reforms that concentrated power in the presidency. This "power grab" has been widely criticized by both Tunisian and international human rights organizations as a significant erosion of the country’s democratic gains since the 2011 revolution.

Zammel's case highlights the growing political repression in Tunisia. NGOs and observers have raised alarms over the narrowing space for opposition and dissent under Saied's administration. For many, the sentencing of Zammel and the treatment of other opposition figures symbolize the challenges facing Tunisia’s democracy in the face of mounting authoritarian tendencies.

The international community, including the EU and rights groups, continues to monitor the situation closely, with growing calls for reforms to restore political freedoms and democratic processes in Tunisia.