Former Tunisian presidential candidate Zammel faces up to 35 years in prison

Ayachi Zammel was one of only two candidates to challenge President Kais Saied in October presidential election

Ayachi Zammel was handed a new sentence for electoral fraud this week. Shutterstock

Former Tunisian presidential hopeful Ayachi Zammel could serve a total of 35 years in prison after being handed a sentence of two years and eight months on charges relating to the falsification of voters’ signatures to endorse his candidacy, his lawyer told The National on Tuesday. Mr Zammel, the head of the opposition Azimoun Party, has been detained since September 2 on several electoral fraud charges, namely the forging of voters’ endorsement documents. He has repeatedly denied all accusations and pleaded not-guilty in all of the cases brought against him.

Lawyer Abdessatar Messaoudi said his client now has a cumulative 35-year prison sentence after his conviction in a total of 26 cases – all relating to the falsification of voters’ endorsements – in several First Instance Courts across the country, including in Jendouba, Siliana, Zaghouan, Kairouan and Tunis 2. Tuesday's sentence was handed down by a judge from the Criminal Division of the Manouba First Instance Court.

“We have thought that the issue was going to be all over with the end of the presidential elections but we were taken aback by what we perceive as an escalation after the Manouba Court verdict,” he told The National. Mr Messaoudi said the ruling is an indicator of authorities' intention to further escalate the situation as his client has received only six months for the same case in a court in another governorate.

“If you give him six months [prison sentence] in September and come in October and give him two years for the same case then it could be only understood as escalation, not a way to calm things down,” the lawyer said, adding that such move can be only described as a way to intimidate and eliminate political opponents. “All of these cases are purely political, so that whoever might consider running for president in 2029 and trying to collect [voters’] endorsements will remember that those endorsements could get him 30 to 35 years in jail.”

According to Mr Messaoudi, one of Mr Zammel's former campaign managers, 23 year old Siwar Barguaoui, is also facing a cumulative sentence of at least 20 years over the same endorsements fraud cases. All three of Mr Zammel’s siblings have been also sentenced in absentia to between two to four years in prison in similar cases.

Tunisia’s October 6 presidential race, which resulted in a landslide win for President Kais Saied, who received more than 90 per cent of the votes, has been criticised for perceived unfairness and lack of credibility. Mr Zammel was one of only two candidates permitted to stand against Mr Saied while at least three other high-profile opposition figures were barred from running.