Tunisia's Ghannouchi begins hunger strike over prison visit ban

Jailed Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has gone on hunger strike after authorities imposed a complete ban on family and legal visits, despite a rapid deterioration in his health.

In a statement on Monday, his lawyers said he had been refusing food and medication since 6 August in protest at the measures, which they said constitute a violation of his fundamental rights.

They added that authorities were subjecting him to cruel and inhuman treatment and said they hold them fully responsible for any impact on his health.

His decision to go on hunger strike comes just days after he was transferred to hospital for the sixth time in a month.

His lawyers warned last month that the 85-year-old was in "critical condition" after he fainted and suffered severe exhaustion.

Mami Mokhtar, a lawyer on his defence team, told The New Arab that authorities have prevented his family and legal team from obtaining information about his health. He added that Ghannouchi is unlikely to have left the hospital since his readmission.

Ghannouchi, the leader of the moderate Islamist Ennahda Movement, is one of Tunisia's most prominent opposition figures.

He has been imprisoned since April 2023 after being arrested during a widespread political crackdown by President Kais Saeid. He has since received several lengthy prison sentences after being convicted of multiple charges of terrorism, "conspiring against state security" and financial crimes.

The 85-year-old was handed a life sentence in June after being found guilty of "forming a terrorist alliance".

Rights monitors say Ghannouchi's convictions were politically motivated and accused the government of seeking to crack down on dissent.