Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has begun a three-day hunger strike in prison, according to reports. The 82-year-old politician, a vocal critic of President Kais Saied, was sentenced to a year in jail in May on charges of incitement and plotting against state security.
Ghannouchi has been in prison since April. His hunger strike is reportedly in support of other imprisoned opposition figures.
The move comes amid heightened political tensions in Tunisia. Ghannouchi’s party, the Islamist Ennahda movement, has been at odds with President Saied since he seized executive powers in July 2022.
Ghannouchi’s hunger strike is seen as a protest against what he and his supporters describe as the increasing authoritarianism of President Saied’s government. The opposition leader’s imprisonment and subsequent hunger strike have drawn international attention to the political situation in Tunisia.
The government has yet to respond to Ghannouchi’s hunger strike. The situation remains fluid, with many Tunisians and international observers closely watching developments.