Tunisia: Rached Ghannouchi Begins Hunger Strike as Opposition Escalates Protest

Edited By: Africa Eye (With Reuters)

Jailed opposition figure Rached Ghannouchi, 84, has begun a hunger strike in protest against what he and his lawyers describe as unjust detention, becoming the third prominent Tunisian political leader to refuse food in recent days. The move marks a new escalation in the standoff between the opposition and President Kais Saied.

Most major opposition leaders are currently imprisoned, and several political groups accuse President Saied of consolidating power through the courts and turning the country into what they call an “open-air prison.”

Ghannouchi’s decision follows that of opposition politician Jawhar Ben Mbarek, who launched an open-ended hunger strike last week, and Republican Party leader Issam Chebbi, who began his own strike on Friday to demand release.

The head of the Ennahda party and former parliamentary speaker, Ghannouchi has been detained since 2023 and has received multiple prison sentences totaling 37 years in cases related to foreign funding and alleged conspiracy against the state. He has refused to attend his trials, claiming the judiciary is politically controlled.

Relatives and lawyers say Ben Mbarek’s health is rapidly deteriorating and warn that he may be at risk of death if he continues to refuse treatment. His supporters hold President Saied responsible for his safety.

The Tunisian Prisons Authority, however, has denied any deterioration in the health of the detainees, stating that medical checks show all conditions to be “normal and stable.”

This year, courts issued prison sentences ranging from five to 66 years against several opposition figures on charges of “conspiracy against state security,” which human rights organizations say constitute politically motivated prosecutions.