On Monday, November 11, 2024, the Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Manouba issued a new sentence of two years and eight months in prison against Ayachi Zammel, the former presidential candidate, on charges of forging electoral endorsements related to his candidacy for the presidential elections. Under this new ruling, the sentences issued against Zammel add up to a total of 35 years in prison in separate cases related to forged endorsements.
The court had previously agreed to temporarily release Zammel and postpone his trial and that of a number of members of his electoral campaign, including members of his family, pending several cases filed by citizens on suspicion of forging electoral endorsements.
The Freedom for Tunisia Observatory points out that the escalation of rulings against Zammel reflects a trend that raises concerns about the use of the judiciary to settle political scores, especially in light of the lack of clarity regarding the criteria related to endorsement cases and their political dimensions, which calls for reviewing the procedures and ensuring their compliance with clear and transparent legal standards.