One of the three presidential candidates was placed in preventive detention for falsifying documents

September 4 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Tunisian courts on Wednesday ordered preventive detention for Ayachi Zamel, one of the three candidates who are endorsed for the presidential elections on October 6 and who was arrested two days ago accused of allegedly falsifying documents presented precisely to support his candidacy.

The Manuba court of first instance has said that a court hearing on the case is scheduled to take place on Thursday, after the Tunisian politician was questioned by police, according to reports from Tunisian radio station Mosaique.

The move comes just days after three other candidates seen as serious rivals to incumbent President Kais Saied, who is seeking a second term, were dismissed by the country’s electoral commission (ISIE), in a move that has sparked controversy as accusations of authoritarianism against Saied mount.

Zamel, 43, will have to appear in court as Saied sees the path cleared for him to re-elect his country’s leader. The court accuses him of having broken rules on sponsorships, as have the three candidates who have already been excluded from the electoral race despite the Administrative Court ruling in favour of reinstating them.

Abdelatif Meki, a former leader of the moderate Islamist party Ennahda; Monder Zenidi, a former minister during the regime of Zine el Abidine ben Ali; and Imed Daimi, an adviser to former president Moncef Marzuki, who is highly critical of Saied, were disqualified in early August along with 14 other candidates for lacking the necessary support, according to the authorities.