Ayachi Zammel born 16 August 1977 in Mansoura in the delegation of Kesra, is a Tunisian politician.[1][2] A graduate of the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, he is a chemical engineer by training, then became general manager of Ayachi Group.[3] Ayachi Zammel is married and the father of two children.[4][5]

Ayachi Zammel
President of Azimoun
In office
27 June 2022 – 24 August 2024
Preceded byParty established
Member of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People
for Siliana
In office
13 November 2019 – 13 December 2021
Personal details
Born (1977-09-16) 16 September 1977 (age 47)
Mansoura, Tunisia
Political party

Biography

edit

During the 2019 Tunisian parliamentary election, he was elected deputy of the Tahya Tounes party and indicated that he would give up his parliamentary immunity upon his election. He left his party in 2020 to join the National Bloc.[6] During his term, he was a member of the committees for regional development, agriculture, food security and trade, as well as the affairs of Tunisians abroad; he also held the presidency of the committee for health and social affairs during the COVID-19 pandemic and until the dissolution of parliament.[7] He then founded the Azimoun party on 27 June 2022, and chaired it until 24 August 2024, when he presented his candidacy for the presidential election.[8]

Once a candidate, Ayachi Zammel was arrested on 2 September 2024 and placed in pretrial detention two days later on charges of false sponsorship.[9] After obtaining his provisional release on 5 September, he was immediately arrested and sentenced to twenty months in prison on 18 September.[10] On 25 September, a new six-month prison sentence for “falsifying documents” was handed down against him.[11] On 1 October, he was sentenced to an additional twelve years in prison, a decision, as well as the rejection and imprisonment of other candidates, which were denounced by Human Rights Watch.[12][13]

This accumulation of summary convictions is interpreted as a judicial relentlessness reflecting the power's panic in the face of his electoral potential, with many opponents considering voting for him, despite his lack of notoriety, the latter having initially spared him from a rejection of his candidacy.[14]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Tunisie : le candidat Ayachi Zammel écope de 12 ans de prison à cinq jours de la présidentielle" (in French). 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  2. ^ "En Tunisie, le candidat à la présidence Ayachi Zammel condamné à douze ans de prison". Courrier international (in French). 2024-10-02. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  3. ^ kapitalis, webmaster (2024-09-04). "Présidentielle tunisienne : mandat de dépôt contre le candidat Ayachi Zammel". Kapitalis (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  4. ^ "Un député abandonne son immunité parlementaire". JawharaFM. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  5. ^ Presse, La (2024-09-17). "Présidentielle 2024 | Biographie des candidats". La Presse de Tunisie (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  6. ^ "Mabrouk Kourchid, Ayachi Zammel et Kamel Aouadi quittent le bloc de Tahya Tounès | Univers News" (in French). 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  7. ^ ""Azimoun", le nouveau mouvement politique d'Ayachi Zammel". Espace Manager (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  8. ^ Marzouk, Hamza (2024-08-11). "Présidentielle : biographie du candidat Ayachi Zammel". Leconomiste Maghrebin (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  9. ^ "Tunisie: Le candidat à la présidentielle Ayachi Zammel placé en détention provisoire". Challenges (in French). 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  10. ^ Zonebourse (2024-09-06). "Un juge tunisien libère le candidat à la présidence Ayachi Zammel - Zonebourse". ch.zonebourse.com (in Swiss French). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  11. ^ "Tunisie: le candidat Ayachi Zammel à la présidentielle, relâché puis immédiatement arrêté". Voice of America (in French). 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  12. ^ "Détenu mais candidat : Ayachi Zammel reste dans la course en Tunisie - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  13. ^ Galtier, Mathieu. "En Tunisie, un grain de sable nommé Ayachi Zammel dans la campagne électorale de Kaïs Saïed". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  14. ^ "Tunisie : nouvelle peine de six mois de prison pour Ayachi Zammel, candidat à l'élection présidentielle" (in French). 2024-09-26. Retrieved 2024-10-06.