Tunisian presidential candidate Nabil Karoui was welcomed as a hero on Wednesday night when he was released from prison, a four-day dramatic coup in the second round against independent lawyer Kais Saied. The release eclipsed the expected release of Sunday's legislative results, which should confirm a fragmented parliament, with a half-hearted victory of the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party. Dressed in black, Nabil Karoui left in the evening the Mornaguia prison, 20 km from Tunis, surrounded by many members of the police, repelling a compact crowd wanting to approach. His supporters carried him on their shoulders before he left the scene, in black Mercedes, without making a statement.
Nabil Karoui had 15.58% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election, behind the lawyer Kais Saied, 18.4%.
Still charged with tax evasion
Businessman and media, Nabil Karoui was detained since 23 August - ten days before the start of the campaign for the first round of the presidential election - an arrest he described as political. The Court of Cassation decided Wednesday to release Nabil Karoui, who remains charged with tax evasion and money laundering. "The warrant of arrest against Nabil Karoui is canceled, the investigation continues, but it is free," said one of his lawyers, Mr. Nazih Souei. All of the release requests had so far been rejected, and Nabil Karoui's lawyers filed an appeal on Tuesday to demand that Sunday's vote be postponed until he can get out of jail to campaign.
The party founded by Nabil Karoui six months ago, Qalb Tounes, announces second in Sunday's elections. The first estimates of the results of the legislative converge towards a clear advance of the Islamist-inspired party Ennahdha, which should be responsible for forming the government, a complicated task given the fragmentation of Parliament. The dealings between the parties started as soon as Sunday night polls were published, giving the measure of the scattering of votes for these legislative wedges between two rounds of the presidential election.