Most opposition leaders in Tunisia are currently in jail, with some parties accusing Saied of turning the country into an “open-air prison” while using the judiciary to consolidate his authority.
Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahda party and a long-time critic of Saied, follows opposition politician Jawhar Ben Mbarek, who has been on a hunger strike since last week, and Republican Party leader Issam Chebbi, who began his strike on Friday demanding release.
Ghannouchi has been detained since 2023 and sentenced to a total of 37 years in prison across multiple cases, including charges of illicit foreign financing and conspiracy against the state. He has refused to appear in court, citing a judiciary that he says is loyal only to Saied.
Lawyers and human rights groups have warned that Ben Mbarek’s health has deteriorated sharply during his hunger strike, noting that he is refusing treatment and faces serious risks. The Tunisian Prisons Authority, however, denied that the prisoners’ conditions have worsened, stating that medical examinations show their health is “normal and stable.”
This year, courts handed sentences ranging from five to 66 years to opposition leaders, including Ben Mbarek and Chebbi, on charges such as “conspiracy against state security.” Human rights groups say these prosecutions are politically motivated.
Lawyer Dalila Ben Mbarek said Jawhar told her he would soon leave prison “either free or dead,” while his father held President Saied personally responsible for any harm that might come to his son, calling him a dictator.
Opposition figures maintain that Saied’s sudden closure of the elected parliament in 2021 and his move to rule by decree amounted to a coup. Saied rejects this, claiming his actions were necessary to prevent chaos in Tunisia, and has labelled the jailed opposition leaders as criminals, traitors, and terrorists.