Safi Said, a former Tunisian parliamentarian and outspoken critic of President Kais Saied, has been placed in pre-trial detention after allegedly crossing the border into Algeria illegally, a court in Kasserine revealed on Wednesday.
Said, 70, who also pursued a career in journalism and writing, was previously sentenced to four months in prison in June for forging ballot signatures during the 2014 presidential elections.
The court’s spokesperson informed local media that on Tuesday, the court had ordered the detention of political activist Safi Said and a companion of his for illegally crossing the border of a neighbouring country.
Earlier this year, Safi Said had announced his candidacy for the presidential elections scheduled for 6 October, only to withdraw and describe the elections as a bad farce. His arrest places him among a growing number of political figures who have been prosecuted and jailed under President Saied’s administration.
Human Rights Watch recently reported that at least eight prospective candidates for the upcoming elections have faced prosecution, conviction, or imprisonment, highlighting the increased repression of dissent and free speech in Tunisia. Among those jailed are Issam Chebbi, leader of the centrist Al Joumhouri party, and Ghazi Chaouchi, head of the Democratic Current party, both detained on charges of “plotting against the state.”
Abir Moussi, a key opposition leader, was also sentenced to two years in prison under a “false news” law after reportedly submitting her presidential candidacy through her lawyers.
Out of 17 presidential hopefuls, only two candidates — former member of parliament Zouhair Maghzaoui, 59, and liberal party leader Ayachi Zammel — were approved to challenge Saied. The High Independent Authority for Elections (ISIE) rejected 14 candidates, citing insufficient endorsements, with many also accused of forging signatures.
Some potential candidates have claimed that they were unofficially barred from running after authorities refused to provide them with a clean criminal record, a required document for candidacy submission.