A few days before the second round of the Tunisian presidential election scheduled for October 13, the finalist Nabil Karoui, currently incarcerated, has requested the postponement of the vote in the administrative court, according to a statement released Tuesday, October 7 by his campaign team.

"Mr. Nabil Karoui is keen on his right to stand in the second round of the early presidential election [...] out of respect [for] the will of the people and the voters who elected him," the document states. "Rumors about his withdrawal from the presidential race are false and unfounded," said the statement.

The businessman was arrested on August 23, ten days before the start of the presidential campaign, after accusations of tax evasion and money laundering. He will face the second round to independent scholar Kais Saied.

The request for release of Nabil Karoui was rejected Tuesday, October 1 by justice. The Independent Higher Authority for Elections (Isie), relying on the presumption of innocence, however, allows it to be a candidate, unless it is finally condemned by justice.

European observers, like many Tunisian organizations and politicians, called for Nabil Karoui to campaign fairly.

>> Read also: The legal puzzle around Nabil Karoui, candidate in prison