Daughter of Tunisian opposition figure raises concerns over prison conditions, says Rached Ghannouchi fainted

Haifa Chebbi, daughter of imprisoned Tunisian opposition politician Ahmed Najib Chebbi, has expressed concern over detention conditions at Mornaguia Prison, saying she witnessed Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the Ennahda Movement, faint due to extreme heat.

In a video statement released after visiting her father, Chebbi described the conditions inside the prison as extremely difficult, particularly amid high summer temperatures. She urged Tunisia’s political class and civil society to move beyond expressions of solidarity on social media and take what she described as meaningful action.

Chebbi said she visited her father alongside Abdelhamid Jelassi and Ziad Hani, adding that she left the prison feeling distressed by what she had witnessed.

According to her account, temperatures reached 52 degrees Celsius, and she contrasted her ability to leave the prison with the situation of those who remained detained inside.

Chebbi said her remarks were not intended as criticism of the Mornaguia prison administration, stating that prison staff were making efforts to assist detainees and provide particular attention to elderly prisoners.

She also said that she saw Rached Ghannouchi after he returned to prison from a hospital visit and claimed that he had fainted due to the extreme heat while at a legal office inside the prison.

Chebbi said she personally witnessed the incident and argued that responsibility for prison conditions extends beyond the prison administration to political leaders, society, and the country’s political elite.