The daughter of jailed Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi stated that her family has been denied contact and information about his condition for over a week following his reported collapse in prison due to extreme heat. She accused the justice system of seeking revenge and holding President Kais Saied and the Justice Minister responsible.
The situation raises serious concerns about the health and treatment of political prisoners in Tunisia, highlighting potential human rights violations and the ongoing political crackdown under President Kais Saied's government.
The daughter of jailed Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has stated that her family has been denied all contact and information regarding his condition for over a week following his reported collapse in prison. Soumaya Ghannouchi said in a video posted on Instagram that her father, 84, fainted in Mornaguia Prison due to extreme heat, with temperatures reportedly exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. Lawyers attempting to visit him were informed he had been transferred to a hospital, but authorities subsequently refused the family and lawyers entry or any information. Ghannouchi highlighted her father's Parkinson's disease and thyroid disorder, asserting that his detention in a non-cooled cell poses a threat to his life and accusing the justice system of pursuing revenge. She further stated that Tunisian President Kais Saied and Justice Minister Leila Jaffel bear moral, political, and legal responsibility for any harm her father may suffer. Ghannouchi has been imprisoned since April 2023 on charges critics describe as politically motivated, part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures following President Saied's consolidation of power in 2021.