Jailed Tunisian opposition figure hospitalised amid hunger strike: Family

Jawhar Ben Mbarek’s sister said his wellness had ‘severely deteriorated’ and a ‘dangerous toxin’ was detected successful his body.

Jailed Tunisian opposition fig Jawhar Ben Mbarek has been hospitalised owed to terrible dehydration, his household has said, arsenic his wellness continues to deteriorate aft much than 2 weeks connected hunger strike.

Ben Mbarek, the cofounder of Tunisia’s main absorption alliance, the National Salvation Front, started his hunger onslaught connected October 29 to protestation his detention successful jailhouse since February 2023.

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In a Facebook station connected Friday, Ben Mbarek’s sister, Dalila Ben Mbarek Msaddek, warned that her brother’s wellness had present “severely deteriorated” and doctors detected “a highly unsafe toxin” affecting his kidneys.

Msaddek said Ben Mbarek had “received attraction but refused nutritional supplements” astatine the infirmary wherever helium was transferred connected Thursday night, insisting connected continuing his present 17-day protest.

The person was discharged from infirmary connected Friday day and returned to prison, Msaddek added.

On Wednesday, Ben Mbarek’s lawyer Hanen Khmiri said helium had “faced torture” astatine the hands of guards astatine Belli prison, arsenic they attempted to unit him to extremity his protest.

“He was severely beaten, we saw fractures and bruises connected his body,” Khmiri said, adding that she had filed a ailment with the nationalist prosecutor, who promised to investigate.

“He told maine that 4 of the situation guards bushed him severely successful a spot wherever determination is nary surveillance camera,” she said.

Ben Mbarek is 1 of the astir salient opponents of Tunisian strongman President Kais Saied, who has been successful powerfulness since 2019.

In April, helium was sentenced to 18 years successful situation connected charges of “conspiracy against authorities security” and “belonging to a violent group”, successful a mass trial of absorption figures slammed by quality rights groups arsenic politically motivated.

Jawhar Ben Mbarek, a subordinate of the ‘Citizens Against Coup’ campaign, gestures during a objection against President Kais Saied successful 2021 successful the superior Tunis [File: Fethi Belaid/AFP]

Ben Mbarek has denied the charges, which helium has called fabricated.

Rights groups person warned of a crisp diminution successful civilian liberties successful Tunisia since a sweeping powerfulness drawback by Saied successful July 2021, erstwhile helium dissolved parliament and expanded enforcement powerfulness truthful helium could regularisation by decree.

That decree was aboriginal enshrined successful a caller constitution, ratified by a wide boycotted 2022 referendum. Media figures and lawyers captious of Saied person besides been prosecuted and detained nether a harsh “fake news” instrumentality enacted the aforesaid year.

Last week, Ben Mbarek’s household and salient members of Tunisia’s governmental absorption announced they would articulation him successful a collective hunger strike.

Among the participants was Issam Chebbi, the person of the centrist Al Joumhouri (Republican) Party, who is besides down bars aft being convicted successful the aforesaid wide proceedings arsenic Ben Mbarek earlier this year.

Rached Ghannouchi, the 84-year-old person of the Ennahdha party, who is besides serving a hefty situation sentence, besides said helium would articulation the protest. Chebbi and Ghannouchi’s existent information is not known.

Prison authorities person maintained the men are nether “continuous aesculapian supervision” and denied “rumours astir the deterioration successful the wellness of immoderate detainees”.