A third Tunisian opposition leader launches hunger strike in prison

Jailed Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, 84, began a hunger strike, joining two prominent politicians who are protesting what they call “unjust imprisonment,” lawyers said on Saturday, marking the latest escalation in a standoff with President Kais Saied.

Most of the country's opposition leaders are in jail and some parties have accused Saied of turning Tunisia into an “open-air prison” while using the judiciary to cement his authoritarian rule.

Ghannouchi follows opposition politician Jawhar Ben Mbarek who has been on a “wildcat” hunger strike since last week. And Republican Party leader Issam Chebbi started a hunger strike on Friday, demanding his release.

Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahda party and a fierce critic of Saied, has been detained since 2023 and was sentenced to 37 years in prison across multiple cases, including illicit foreign financing and conspiracy against the state. He has refused to appear in court, saying he won’t face judges who only follow Saied’s orders.

Lawyers, family, and rights groups say Ben Mbarek’s health has sharply deteriorated, he is refusing treatment and is at risk of dying.

The Tunisian Prisons Authority denied that the prisoners’ health had deteriorated due to the hunger strikes, saying medical examinations showed conditions were “normal and stable,” without giving additional details.

This year, courts handed prison sentences ranging from five to 66 years to opposition leaders including Ben Mbarek and Chebbi on charges including “conspiracy against state security.” Human rights groups say these prosecutions targeted political opponents.

Lawyer Dalila Ben Mbarek said Jawhar informed her that he would soon leave the prison “either free or dead.” His father said Saied was responsible for any harm that came to his son, calling him a dictator.

The opposition says Saied’s sudden closure of the elected parliament in 2021 and his move to rule by decree was a coup.

Saied denied this, saying his actions were necessary to save Tunisia from years of chaos; he has called jailed opposition leaders criminals, traitors and terrorists.