Tunis [Tunisia], May 2: Jailed Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has been urgently transferred to a hospital after a sharp deterioration in his health, his party has announced, calling for his immediate release. Ghannouchi, the 84-year-old former speaker of parliament and head of the Ennahdha party, has been imprisoned since April 2023 in what his supporters and international rights groups describe as a politically motivated campaign to crush dissent.
In a statement on Facebook on Thursday, Ennahdha's media and communications office said prison authorities were forced to transfer Ghannouchi to hospital for treatment and continuous medical observation over the coming days.
The party did not provide specific details regarding his current medical condition, but noted that he suffers from chronic illnesses that require constant family care and attention due to his advanced age. "In light of this dangerous development, the movement renews its demand for the immediate release of Mr Rached Ghannouchi, considering him arbitrarily detained," the statement read.
Ennahdha pointed to last year's decision by a United Nations committee of experts, which concluded that Ghannouchi is being prosecuted for his freedom of opinion and expression, and that the charges against him lack any legal or factual basis.
Source: Qatar Tribune