- Title: Tunisian presidential candidate freed days before election
- Date: 9th October 2019
- Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (OCTOBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NABIL KAROUI'S CONVOY ARRIVING AT CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS, SUPPORTERS WAVING TUNISIAN FLAGS SECURITY PERSONNEL STANDING OUTSIDE KAROUI'S CAR, SUPPORTERS WAVING FLAGS KAROUI GETTING OUT OF CAR AND WALKING TOWARDS CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS VARIOUS OF KAROUI BEING ESCORTED BY SECURITY TOWARDS HEADQUARTERS SURROUNDED BY SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) Arabic) CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON, OSAMA KHELIFI, SAYING: "Postponing elections is in the country's interest, because there are just two days left for the presidential election, which means there can't be equal opportunity, there is nothing that can be done, and we have faith in the national institutions and in the higher elections committee." KAROUI BEING ESCORTED OUT BY SECURITY VARIOUS OF KAROUI'S SUPPORTERS CHANTING AND WAVING FLAGS VARIOUS OF KAROUI'S SUPPORTERS LIGHTING FLARES KAROUI WAVING TO CROWD BEFORE LEAVING
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2019 22:16
- Keywords: Tunisia Tunis Nabil Karoui Prison Release
- Location: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- City: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0DLPAF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Tunisian presidential candidate and media mogul Nabil Karoui left prison on Wednesday (October 9) days before Sunday's (October 13) election runoff after weeks of detention waiting for a verdict in his corruption trial.
Karoui was the runner up in the first round of the presidential election last month, despite being held since August 23 in pre-trial detention.
He will now face Kais Saied, an independent, in the second round of voting.
Hundreds of supporters who had gathered outside the prison cheered as Karoui departed hours after an appeals court ruled that he should be released, a Reuters journalist said.
Karoui still faces charges of money laundering and tax fraud, which he denies, but no date has been publicly set to hand down a final verdict in the case. He remains subject to a travel ban and asset freeze.
The release means a televised debate can now take place between Saied and Karoui, who missed Tunisia's first ever such event between the 26 candidates who ran in the initial round of the election.
(Production: Sayed Sheashaa, Seham Eloraby) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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