Kaïs Saïed apologizes to K2Rhym: Beware of this video manipulated by deepfake
On July 29, 2024, a video circulating on social media, including Facebook, purportedly showed the incumbent president and candidate for re-election, Kaïs Saïed, offering an apology. In the video, Kaïs Saïed appeared to apologize for an incident that occurred during the Hammam Sousse festival, stating: There was a little misunderstanding. I got upset and I want to apologize to my friend. My response was harsh, and I apologize for that. It was a misunderstanding between singers, and I apologize to him and his family. ».
The logo of Mosaïque FM radio appeared on the video, which seemed to indicate that it was an official statement broadcast on this station. Quickly, the video was widely shared and commented on several Facebook pages.
However, after a thorough investigation, it was revealed that the video was falsified. To the naked eye, the discrepancy between the words, the face and the voice of the president could be seen, suggesting manipulation. Using the video verification tool InVid, we were able to find the original video. It actually showed popular singer Samir Loussif, who had posted an apology video on July 25, 2024 after a concert with fellow singer Faouzi Ben Gamra. A disagreement between the two artists led Samir Loussif to publicly apologize via Facebook.
The original video does not feature any radio logo. This was added later to make it appear as if it was an official statement broadcast by Mosaïque FM. The deepfake was used to pass off the message as being from President Kaïs Saïed apologizing to K2Rhym, another presidential candidate who had his candidacy rejected.
As a reminder, the Jendouba court pronounced on Wednesday, August 14, a conviction in absentia against businessman and rapper K2Rhym for having purchased sponsorships with a view to running in the presidential election.
The Jendouba Court of First Instance sentenced K2Rhym to a fine of 5,000 dinars and a lifetime ban from running for office. The court also sentenced the chairman of the Jendouba local council to one year in prison and a woman to four years in prison in absentia on the same charge.
K2Rhym had announced his intention to run in the presidential election scheduled for October 6, but he did not submit his application to the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) due to failure to obtain a criminal record certificate, bulletin no. 3.
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