Tunisia’s jailed opposition leader Ghannouchi in ‘critical condition,’ lawyers say

Tunisia’s jailed opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi is in “critical condition,” his lawyers said on Thursday, after the 85-year old fainted and suffered severe exhaustion.

The Ennahda party leader was arrested in 2023 on multiple charges, including accusations of plotting against the state. He was sentenced to a total of more than 40 years in prison in separate cases.

“The defence team for professor Rached Ghannouchi expresses its deep concern regarding the serious deterioration in his health condition,” his lawyers said in a statement.

“Despite this critical condition, the authorities have refused to allow any visits from our client by his lawyers or family members, in flagrant violation of the law and the fundamental rights of prisoners,” the lawyers added.

The Islamist-inspired Ennahdha played a key role in Tunisian politics for years before Ghannouchi was detained.

Ghannouchi was speaker of parliament at the time of President Kais Saied’s power grab in the summer of 2021.

Tunisia emerged as the Arab world’s only democracy following the ouster of longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, which kicked off the Arab Spring uprisings.

But since Saied came to power in 2019, local and international NGOs say there has been a regression of rights and freedoms.