The News
Tunisia’s government jailed a leading opposition figure ahead of next month’s election.
Ayachi Zammel, one of just two candidates approved to run against the authoritarian President Kais Saied, was sentenced to 20 months over alleged forgery: His campaign said the move was politically motivated.
Saied has cracked down on the opposition and “extinguished hopes of a fair vote,” the Financial Times reported, arresting rivals and dismantling institutions since his 2019 election.
Nonetheless, European countries have been working with Tunisia to reduce cross-Mediterranean migration: The European Union pledged it $120 million in funding to combat smuggling, and The Guardian reported that Brussels is “turning a blind eye” to a series of human rights abuses against migrants by its national guard.
