Media mogul Nabil Karoui was placed in pre-trial detention on August 23 on charges of money laundering and tax evasion
Media mogul Nabil Karoui was placed in pre-trial detention on August 23 on charges of money laundering and tax evasion AFP / Hasna

Tunisia's jailed presidential candidate Nabil Karoui is expected to walk free later Wednesday, his lawyer said, just days ahead of a runoff vote.

Lawyer Kamel Ben Messoud said the Court of Cassation decided to free business tycoon Karoui, who has been behind bars since August in a money laundering probe.

"The Court of Cassation has annulled the detention order" against Karoui, Ben Messoud told AFP, adding that his client would walk free from Mornaguia prison near the capital Tunis later Wednesday.

Karoui is running against Kais Saied in Sunday's second round. Both candidates are newcomers to the political arena of the country whose 2011 revolution sparked the Arab Spring regional uprisings.

Saied had announced last weekend he was quitting campaigning in order to avoid an unfair advantage over Karoui.

Tunisia Elections