Tunisia Presidential Candidate Zammel Released from Detention

FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator carries a banner during a protest demanding the implementation of a ruling by the administrative court to reinstate three other prominent candidates in the presidential race, near the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in Tunis, Tunisia September 2, 2024. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator carries a banner during a protest demanding the implementation of a ruling by the administrative court to reinstate three other prominent candidates in the presidential race, near the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in Tunis, Tunisia September 2, 2024. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui/File Photo
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Tunisia Presidential Candidate Zammel Released from Detention

FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator carries a banner during a protest demanding the implementation of a ruling by the administrative court to reinstate three other prominent candidates in the presidential race, near the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in Tunis, Tunisia September 2, 2024. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator carries a banner during a protest demanding the implementation of a ruling by the administrative court to reinstate three other prominent candidates in the presidential race, near the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in Tunis, Tunisia September 2, 2024. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui/File Photo

Tunisian presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel was released from police custody on Friday shortly after he was set free from a previous detention then re-arrested over alleged election-related irregularities, the state news agency TAP reported.
Zammel is one of three candidates approved by Tunisia's electoral commission to run in a presidential election on Oct. 6 which opposition critics say is rigged in favor of President Kais Saied.
He was arrested on Monday on suspicion of falsifying voter forms. A judge ordered him set free on Thursday. But two lawyers for Zammel, Abdessatar Massoudi and Dalila Ben Mbarek, said he was arrested again immediately after his release from Borj El Amri prison.
On Friday, he was released again on a judge's orders, TAP said. His case was postponed until Sept. 19, Reuters reported.
Zammel campaign member Mahdi Abdel Jawad described his arrest as a kidnapping.
He is accused of falsifying voter forms for next month's election. Each candidate must submit forms from 10,000 supporters to qualify to stand. He denies the allegation.
Zammel has said he faces restrictions and intimidation because he is a serious competitor to Saied. He has pledged to rebuild democracy, guarantee freedoms and fix Tunisia's collapsing economy.



Israel Sends Negotiators to Cairo to Extend Phase-one of Gaza Ceasefire

 Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
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Israel Sends Negotiators to Cairo to Extend Phase-one of Gaza Ceasefire

 Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

Israel announced on Thursday it was sending negotiators to Cairo for talks, seeking to extend a first phase of a ceasefire due to expire in two days, in the apparent aim of securing the release of more hostages while delaying any final deal on Gaza's future.

The announcement came after Hamas handed over four bodies of hostages, the last due to be released under the terms of the six-week first phase of the ceasefire that started on January 19. Talks have yet to begin on a second phase that would ultimately lead to a permanent end to the war.

Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters in Jerusalem the delegation would travel to Egypt to see whether there was common ground to negotiate an extension to the truce.

"We said we are ready to make the framework longer in return to release more hostages. If it is possible, we'll do that."

Two government officials told Reuters that Israel was seeking to extend the initial phase, with Hamas freeing three hostages each week in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.

The warring sides have not spelled out what would happen beyond Saturday if the first phase of the ceasefire expires with no agreement. Egypt and Qatar are mediating between Israel and Hamas, with the backing of the United States.

The initial phase of the ceasefire included the handover of 33 Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli jails. Fighting was paused and Israeli troops withdrew from some positions in Gaza.

Talks over the second phase, intended to secure the release of the remaining hostages and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, had been meant to start earlier this month.

Israel's government faces public pressure to stick to the ceasefire to free remaining hostages, while some within the right-wing government want to return to war to fulfil their objective of eradicating Hamas.