By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
A Tunisian court has sentenced several potential presidential candidates to prison and barred them from the October election, fueling accusations of political manipulation aimed at excluding serious challengers to President Kais Saied.
Key figures, including Abdel Latif Mekki, activist Nizar Chaari, Judge Mourad Massoudi, and Adel Dou, were given eight-month prison terms for vote-buying. Abir Moussi, a prominent critic of Saied, was sentenced to two years in prison for insulting the election commission under Decree 54, a 2022 law targeting “false news.”
Mekki’s campaign manager, Ahmed Nafatti, condemned the sentencing as “unfair and unjust,” while Chaari described it as a “shocking rule” intended to exclude significant competitors. Saied has rejected these claims, stating, “There are no restrictions on potential candidates … I did not oppress anyone, and the law applies to everyone equally.” Opposition figures and human rights groups remain concerned that these prison sentences are part of a strategy to secure Saied’s re-election.
