Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi began a hunger strike inside a prison on Monday, joining other government critics on strike to protest his unjust imprisonment.
Tunisian opposition leader condemns military prosecution amid continuing crackdown on dissidents
A spokesman for his party, Imed Kemili, told The Associated Press on Monday that Ghannouchi’s strike was aimed at drawing attention to the plight of Tunisia’s political prisoners and violations of their freedoms. He said the strike was “to demand a return to democracy” in the North African country known for the protests that sparked the Arab Spring 13 years ago.
Annahada Party leader Rached Ghannouchi speaks to the media after being freed by Tunisian anti-terrorism forces in Tunis, Tunisia, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassen Dridi, File)
Ghannouchi, 82, is the co-founder and leader of Ennahda, the Islamist party that came to power in Tunisia in 2011 after the country overthrew then-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. He was sentenced to three years in prison on related charges earlier this month. For foreign funding of Mr. Annada’s 2019 political campaign.
Ghannouchi was arrested in April last year as part of a broader crackdown on President Kais Saied’s political opponents and has refused to appear in court on charges that his lawyers say are “groundless and politically motivated.”
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Six other critics of Said, who have been jailed since February 23 as part of an investigation into “conspiracy against national security,” began a hunger strike last week. The families said in a joint statement that all but one person, who was advised by doctors to call off the strike, are continuing to strike.
