Tunisia’s Ennahda expresses concern over Rached Ghannouchi’s health in prison

Tunisia’s Ennahda movement has held the authorities fully responsible for ensuring the safety of its leader, Rached Ghannouchi, expressing deep concern over what it described as a serious deterioration in his health and the refusal to allow his lawyers and family to visit him.

Ghannouchi’s defence team said on Thursday that he suffered a fainting episode and severe exhaustion last week. It also said the Tunisian authorities had refused to allow his lawyers or relatives to visit him, while providing no information about his condition.

In a statement, Ennahda said it was “following with deep concern” information provided by the defence team about what it described as a sharp and dangerous decline in Ghannouchi’s health. It said he had suffered fainting spells and severe exhaustion because of prison conditions during a period of extreme heat.

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The movement warned that withholding information about Ghannouchi’s health and preventing his lawyers and family from visiting him violated his basic human rights, as well as Tunisian law and international conventions guaranteeing detainees access to healthcare and communication with their families and legal representatives.

Ennahda said the Tunisian authorities bore “full and direct responsibility” for Ghannouchi’s physical and health safety, and for any serious consequences resulting from the restrictions imposed on him. 

The movement called for the immediate lifting of what it described as the unlawful ban on visits, demanding that Ghannouchi’s defence team, family and an independent medical committee be allowed to assess his condition. It also called for his immediate release, along with all political detainees, and for what it described as unfair trials to be halted.

Ghannouchi has been detained since 17 April 2023 over remarks that the authorities said amounted to incitement against state security. He faces 12 separate court cases, has already been convicted in several of them, and has received prison sentences that include life imprisonment.

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