Lawyer Mounia Bouali mentioned in a press interview that "a Tunisian judge issued a decision today (Friday) to prevent Abdel Latif Mekki, a potential presidential candidate, from traveling, appearing in the media and on social media, and leaving his residential area. This move has been described by his party as an attempt to exclude a serious candidate from the race." Mekki has become the latest candidate whose parties have complained about the authorities obstructing their nomination efforts in the elections, following complaints from others about systematic targeting to exclude them from the race, including imprisoned politicians Ghazi Chaouachi and Abir Moussi.
Last week, the police also arrested another potential candidate, Lotfi Maraichi, on suspicion of money laundering. In a video he recorded before his arrest, Maraichi stated that he was facing arrest, restrictions, and harassment due to his candidacy for the upcoming elections scheduled for October 6th. Some other potential candidates, including Safi Saeed, Mondher Zanaidi, and Nizar Chaari, are facing legal proceedings in various cases, including forgery, corruption, and money laundering.
Bouali stated, "The judge decided to prevent Mekki from traveling, forbidding him from appearing in the media and on social media, and ordered him to remain in the Mourouj area where he resides." The Workers and Achievement Party, led by Abdel Latif Mekki, considers this step a direct targeting of a serious competitor. Ahmad Nafati, the party's Deputy Secretary-General, remarked, "This confirms that Dr. Abdel Latif Mekki is clearly targeted to hinder his campaign to collect signatures from citizens and to communicate directly with them because he is a serious competitor."
Days after Mekki announced his intention to run for the elections, a spokesperson for the Tunis court stated that Mekki is under suspicion of involvement in the premeditated murder of a businessman who died in prison years ago. Opposition parties, several of whose leaders are imprisoned, accuse Saied's government of exerting pressure on the judiciary to target Saied's competitors in the elections and pave the way for his re-election. The parties state that credible and fair elections cannot occur unless imprisoned politicians are released and the media is allowed to operate without pressure.
On the other hand, Saied's supporters argue that candidacy for the elections does not justify halting legal actions against individuals facing charges of money laundering and corruption, regardless of their status. Saied, who was elected president in 2019, has not officially announced his candidacy yet, but he is expected to do so soon. Last year, Saied stated that he would not hand over power to those he described as unpatriotic.
