TUNIS: Tunisian rapper Karim Gharbi, better known as K2Rhym, was sentenced to four years in prison in absentia Wednesday for allegedly buying voter signatures to qualify for upcoming presidential elections, a judicial spokesperson said.
A court in Jendouba also fined Gharbi 5,000 dinars (around $1,600) and stripped him of the right to vote, spokesman Alaedine Aouadi told AFP.
The court also sentenced the president of the commune of Jendouba to one year in jail and a fine of 1,000 dinars, and a colleague of the rapper to four years in prison and a fine of 5,000 dinars.
Gharbi, who lives abroad and was the son-in-law of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, had announced in a video at the end of July his intention to run in the presidential candidate scheduled for October.
To be listed on the ballot, candidates are required to present a list of signatures from 10,000 registered voters.
Controversial in Tunisia for his tattoos and flashy lifestyle, Gharbi had become in recent years known for his charitable endeavours with orphans, lower-income families, hospitals and schools.
On August 5, the night before the deadline for submitting applications, the rapper said authorities had refused to provide him with a form showing he had no criminal record, preventing him from becoming a candidate.
“What are you afraid of? The ballot boxes? Why organize elections?” he said.
The same court on August 2 sentenced four women working for the rapper to between two and four years in prison for having “provided money or gifts in kind” in exchange for voter signatures.
Experts say presidential hopefuls face significant constraints in their bid to challenge President Kais Saied, who was democratically elected in 2019 but orchestrated a sweeping power grab in 2021 and is now seeking another term in office.
Candidates from across the political spectrum have complained that the new, tougher endorsement requirements make it nearly impossible to get on the ballot.
Several jailed opposition figures had announced their plans to present their candidacy but, having failed to obtain a power of attorney, were unable to complete the process.
Only two candidates, former member of parliament Zouhair Maghzaoui, 59, and the leader of a small liberal party, Ayachi Zammel, were pre-selected to run against Saied, accused by his detractors of authoritarianism.
Tunisian rapper seeking presidency sentenced to prison
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Tunisian rapper seeking presidency sentenced to prison
- A court in Jendouba also fined Gharbi around $1,600 and stripped him of the right to vote
- Gharbi lives abroad and is the son-in-law of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Israeli military says unintentionally struck UN agency truck in Gaza
- “Our teams are taking extraordinary risks every day to keep humanitarian operations and life-sustaining services running,” UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva said in a statement, calling for an investigation into the incident
TEL AVIV: Israel’s military said on Friday that a “firing component” launched by its navy unintentionally struck a fuel truck belonging to a United Nations agency in Gaza the previous day, an incident that prompted the agency to publicly call for a full investigation.
The United Nations Office for Project Services, which oversees fuel distribution in Gaza, said that the empty fuel truck was struck on Thursday around 5 a.m. from the direction of the sea, causing damage to the vehicle. There were no injuries.
“Our teams are taking extraordinary risks every day to keep humanitarian operations and life-sustaining services running,” UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva said in a statement, calling for an investigation into the incident.
“They should not have to do that under fire,” he said.
In response to Reuters questions, the Israeli military said that the incident occurred during defensive naval activity, and that a firing component deviated from its intended trajectory.
The fuel truck sustained “minor damage,” the military said in a statement. The military did not say what type of munitions had been fired, or what had been the navy’s intended target.
“The incident was reviewed, and lessons were learned accordingly,” it said, without providing further details.
The fuel truck had been on its way to the Kerem Shalom crossing when it was struck, and the truck’s movements had been coordinated with Israeli authorities in advance, UNOPS said.
