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4w ago

Tunisian Opposition Leaders Launch Hunger Strikes as Ben Mbarek’s Health Is Disputed

Rights groups question prisoner care under Saied’s prosecutions of opponents.

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Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Islamist Ennahda party and former speaker of the parliament, during an interview with Reuters at his office in Tunis, Tunisia, July 15, 2022. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi/File Photo
Supporters gathered outside the prison where a prominent opposition figure is being held and on hunger strike

Overview

  • Rached Ghannouchi, 84, and fellow jailed leader Issam Chebbi began hunger strikes, joining Jawhar Ben Mbarek’s protest against what they call unjust imprisonment.
  • Lawyers, family and rights groups report that Ben Mbarek’s condition has sharply deteriorated and that he is refusing treatment, while prison authorities say medical checks show stable health.
  • Ben Mbarek was sentenced in April to 18 years in a mass trial on charges including conspiracy against state security, and Ghannouchi is serving lengthy terms across multiple cases.
  • The Tunisian League for Human Rights said it tried to persuade Ben Mbarek to halt his strike, and the Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK raised concerns about compliance with legal obligations for medical monitoring.
  • Opposition figures say the strikes spotlight a sweeping crackdown since 2021, as supporters rally near the prison and some relatives and party members vow to join the protest.