TUNIS / Adel Al-Thabeti / Anadolu

Tunisian President Kais Saied on Thursday issued an amnesty covering a number of prisoners, including the former head of the football federation, Wadii Jaryi, and the former candidate for the 2024 presidential election, Ayachi Zammel.

In October 2023, Jaryi was imprisoned over administrative and financial complaints filed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports; he was sentenced in February 2025 to four years in prison, before the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence to three years.

As for Zammel, he was arrested on September 2, 2024, and received prison sentences totaling decades from courts in Tunis, Jendouba, Kairouan, and Siliana on suspicion of forging endorsements for the presidential election.

The official Tunisian news agency quoted an unidentified informed source as saying that "on the occasion of the celebration of the 69th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic, the two prisoners Ayachi Zammel, head of the Azimoun movement and former presidential candidate, and Wadii Jaryi, former president of the Tunisian Football Federation, benefited from a special presidential amnesty."

Earlier on Thursday, the Tunisian presidency said in a statement that on the occasion of the celebration of the 69th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic, Saied issued a special amnesty covering 2,439 prisoners.

The presidency added that Saied ordered the conditional release of an additional 490 prisoners.

Tunisia celebrates Republic Day on July 25 each year, marking the day in 1957 when the Tunisian Constituent National Assembly abolished the monarchy and established the republic.

Tunisia has been experiencing a severe political crisis since July 25, 2021, when President Saied imposed exceptional measures, including dissolving the former parliament and changing the constitution, steps that the opposition considers a "coup against the constitution."

As for Saied, he insists his measures are "measures within the framework of the constitution to protect the state," stressing on more than one occasion that he is not undermining freedoms and rights.