A360
Key Takeaways✦ Atlas AI
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Ghannouchi hospitalized due to health decline.
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Ennahdha party demands immediate release.
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Crackdown on Tunisian opposition continues.
Atlas AI
Tunisian Opposition Leader Hospitalized Amid Health Deterioration
Rached Ghannouchi, the 84-year-old jailed leader of Tunisia's Ennahdha party and former parliament speaker, was urgently transferred to a hospital on Thursday due to a significant decline in his health. Ghannouchi has been imprisoned since April 2023, with his party and international human rights organizations asserting his detention is politically motivated.
Ennahdha's media and communications office announced the transfer via Facebook, stating prison authorities moved Ghannouchi for treatment and continuous medical observation. While specific details of his current condition were not provided, the party noted his chronic illnesses and advanced age necessitate constant care.
Ennahdha reiterated its demand for his immediate release, citing a United Nations expert committee's conclusion that his prosecution for freedom of opinion and expression lacks legal basis.
Ghannouchi's hospitalization occurs amidst a broader crackdown on political opposition by President Kais Saied, who suspended parliament in 2021 and subsequently expanded presidential powers through a new constitution. Ghannouchi faces multiple charges, including incitement (one-year sentence in April 2023), receiving foreign contributions (three-year sentence in February 2024), and plotting against state security (22-year sentence in February 2025).
Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have criticized these actions as arbitrary detentions, while Saied maintains his measures are necessary to combat corruption and political instability.
