Ennahda: Detained leader’s health deteriorating

Tunisia’s Ennahda Movement announced a “major deterioration” in the health of detained movement leader Sahbi Atigue on Tuesday evening, 18 days into his hunger strike.

The movement shared in a statement: “The health condition of Ennahda official Sahbi Atigue witnessed a sharp deterioration due to the brutal hunger strike he has been waging for 18 days. The deterioration necessitated his transfer to the hospital on Monday night.”

It noted that Atigue is on hunger strike: “In protest of his unjust imprisonment in a fabricated and unusual case marred by several legal violations.”

Ennahda called for: “The release of Atigue and all political opponents, and an end to the policy of abuse and revenge.”

On Friday, Zainab Maraihi, Atigue’s wife, announced that her husband’s health condition is: “Continuously deteriorating because he has been on hunger strike since his arrest.”

Maraihi posted on Facebook that her husband is being pursued in a: “Malicious case based on false testimony and lies that aim to do one thing: discredit my husband and imprison him.”

READ: Detained Ennahda leader begins hunger strike

As of 22:55, there was no comment from authorities regarding the statements by Ennahda and Maraihi, however, the country’s president, Kais Saied, usually stresses the independence of the judicial authorities and the protection of the rights of detainees and prisoners.

Since 11 February, Tunisia has witnessed a campaign of arrests, including politicians, media professionals, activists, judges and businesspeople.

The Tunisian president accused detainees of: “Conspiring against state security and being behind the crises of distributing goods and rising prices.” However, the opposition accuses him of using the judiciary to pursue those who reject the exceptional measures he imposed on 25 July, 2021, which created a major political crisis.