Tunisia: Former presidential candidate Safi Saïd released after one day in prison

On August 22, the Tunisian judiciary ordered the release of opposition politician Safi Saïd. Saïd, a former candidate in the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections who withdrew from this year’s race, had been arrested on August 20 for “illegally crossing the border into Algeria.”
The 70-year-old writer and critic of the current Tunisian president was previously sentenced to four months in prison last June for forgery and fraud. He was apprehended by Algerian security before being handed over to Tunisian authorities.
On August 21, the court in Kasserine had ordered Saïd’s detention for crossing the border illegally. However, on August 22, the same court released him without providing further details.
Saïd had withdrawn from the presidential race after his application was rejected by the Independent Higher Electoral Body (ISIE), led by a close associate of the Tunisian president. He cited “unequal opportunities” and “major obstacles” in the electoral process. Human Rights Watch reported on August 20 that several potential presidential candidates, including Saïd, had been prosecuted or imprisoned, effectively barring them from running.
Since President Kaïs Saïed’s power grab on July 25, 2021, which consolidated his control, the number of candidates for the October 7 presidential election has dwindled to just two..