 In 2013, Ronny De Smet, a Belgian tourist, was sentenced to three years in prison for attempted homosexual seduction in what he believes was a sting operation by local police to extort money.De Smet was released three months later.In 2019, ahead of the 2019 presidential election, lawyer and LGBT activist Mounir Baatour announced his candidacy for president, making him the first gay man to run for president in Tunisia and the Arab World.