Tunisian Opposition Figure Hospitalized Amid Hunger Strike, Family Warns of "Severe Deterioration"
Jawhar Ben Mbarek, a prominent opposition figure from Tunisia's main alliance, has been hospitalized due to severe dehydration following over two weeks on hunger strike. His family revealed that his health has taken a severe turn for the worse, with doctors detecting a highly dangerous toxin affecting his kidneys.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Ben Mbarek's sister, Dalila Ben Mbarek Msaddek, expressed her concern, stating that her brother's condition had "severely deteriorated." She added that he had received treatment but refused nutritional supplements, insisting on continuing his 17-day protest. Despite this, the politician was discharged from hospital and returned to prison.
Ben Mbarek's lawyer, Hanen Khmiri, has stated that he faced torture at the hands of guards at Belli prison while trying to force him to end his hunger strike. The lawyer claimed that Ben Mbarek was severely beaten, with fractures and bruises on his body. A complaint has been filed with the public prosecutor, who promised to investigate.
Ben Mbarek is a prominent opponent of Tunisian strongman President Kais Saied, who has been in power since 2019. In April, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges of conspiracy against state security and belonging to a terrorist group, in a mass trial slammed by human rights groups as politically motivated.
The opposition figure's health comes amid a sharp decline in civil liberties in Tunisia since Saied's sweeping power grab in July 2021. Rights groups have warned that the country is experiencing a severe erosion of freedoms, with media figures and lawyers critical of Saied being prosecuted and detained under a harsh "fake news" law.
Last week, Ben Mbarek's family and prominent members of the opposition announced they would join him in a collective hunger strike. The protest has drawn attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Tunisia under Saied's rule.
Jawhar Ben Mbarek, a prominent opposition figure from Tunisia's main alliance, has been hospitalized due to severe dehydration following over two weeks on hunger strike. His family revealed that his health has taken a severe turn for the worse, with doctors detecting a highly dangerous toxin affecting his kidneys.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Ben Mbarek's sister, Dalila Ben Mbarek Msaddek, expressed her concern, stating that her brother's condition had "severely deteriorated." She added that he had received treatment but refused nutritional supplements, insisting on continuing his 17-day protest. Despite this, the politician was discharged from hospital and returned to prison.
Ben Mbarek's lawyer, Hanen Khmiri, has stated that he faced torture at the hands of guards at Belli prison while trying to force him to end his hunger strike. The lawyer claimed that Ben Mbarek was severely beaten, with fractures and bruises on his body. A complaint has been filed with the public prosecutor, who promised to investigate.
Ben Mbarek is a prominent opponent of Tunisian strongman President Kais Saied, who has been in power since 2019. In April, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges of conspiracy against state security and belonging to a terrorist group, in a mass trial slammed by human rights groups as politically motivated.
The opposition figure's health comes amid a sharp decline in civil liberties in Tunisia since Saied's sweeping power grab in July 2021. Rights groups have warned that the country is experiencing a severe erosion of freedoms, with media figures and lawyers critical of Saied being prosecuted and detained under a harsh "fake news" law.
Last week, Ben Mbarek's family and prominent members of the opposition announced they would join him in a collective hunger strike. The protest has drawn attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Tunisia under Saied's rule.
how many times can one person get hurt for speaking out against a corrupt gov? jawhar ben mbarek needs medical help ASAP and i'm so sick of these gov'ts just silencing ppl with false charges & torture 
18 years in prison over protesting? that's a joke! what's next, throwing him in solitary confinement without access to his fam or lawyers?! 
this is a clear human rights abuse and the international community needs to take notice 
can't believe this guy is putting his life on the line for what he believes in 
. torture allegations? 18 years in prison? that's insane 
Jawhar Ben Mbarek's situation is super concerning, and I hope he recovers ASAP 
. The fact that hes been through so much already, and now hes puttin his life at risk again by goin on hunger strike, its just crazy 
. We should all be thinkin bout the poor guy and hopin for the best 
. And like, can we please talk about how messed up the situation is in Tunisia? Its not okay to see ppl sufferin like this over political differences 
. We need 2 find a way 2 make things right 
.
what a waste, you know? and the fact that they were trying to force him to eat just to get some food in his system is wild 
and now a complaint has been filed... hopefully something does come of it 
. I mean, I get it, making a point about the state of affairs in Tunisia isn't easy, but come on, dude! Your body is like 'seriously, we're outta here' while your brain is all 'nope, let's keep protesting' 
. Can't say I blame him for being fed up with Saied and all that, though 
. His lawyers talking about torture and all that... yeah, no kidding 
. It's time someone does something (even if it means eating a sandwich or two).
he's gotta be so scared, physically & mentally 
the government needs to step up and protect ppl like him from torture & oppression, its not just about freedom of speech or media but ppl's basic human rights too 
the government is literally playing with people's lives and that's insane... has anyone else noticed that no one from the mainstream media is talking about this? 
it's all about saied being 'strong' but what about the cost to his own people?