Tunis, Tunisia – Prominent Tunisian opposition figures have joined a collective hunger strike in solidarity with jailed politician Jawhar Ben Mbarek, whose health is reported to be deteriorating after nine days without food.

Ben Mbarek, cofounder of the opposition National Salvation Front, has been imprisoned since February 2023 and launched the hunger strike to protest his detention.

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Opposition Figures Join Protest

Ben Mbarek’s father, veteran activist Ezzeddine Hazgui, confirmed his son’s worsening condition and announced that the family would join the hunger strike.

Several major opposition leaders have followed suit, including:

• Issam Chebbi, leader of the centrist Al Joumhouri Party
• Wissam Sghaier, Al Joumhouri leader
• Rached Ghannouchi, 84-year-old leader of the Ennahdha Party, serving a lengthy prison sentence

Ghannouchi stated on social media that his hunger strike supports Ben Mbarek and defends judicial independence and freedom in Tunisia.

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Charges and Human Rights Concerns

Ben Mbarek was sentenced in April to 18 years in prison on charges of “conspiracy against state security” and “belonging to a terrorist group,” in a trial criticized by human rights organizations as politically motivated.

Rights groups warn that Tunisia has seen a sharp decline in civil liberties since President Kais Saied’s 2019 election, particularly following his 2021 power grab, dissolution of parliament, and expansion of executive authority.

Recent prosecutions under Decree Law 54 and other legislation have targeted media figures, lawyers, and critics of Saied, raising concerns about freedom of expression and fair trial standards.

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Medical and Legal Safeguards

The Arab Organisation for Human Rights (UK) highlighted the importance of monitoring Ben Mbarek’s health, stressing that Tunisian law obliges the state to provide medical care and safeguard prisoners’ rights, even during hunger strikes.

“His action reflects a broader climate of political tension and protest against judicial processes perceived as influenced by political polarization,” the group said.

Ben Mbarek’s hunger strike underscores Tunisia’s ongoing political crisis and debate over rule of law, accountability, and civil liberties.