Tuesday, August 11, 2026 - Tunisia’s jailed Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi has ended a five-day hunger and medication strike after medical staff reportedly urged him to stop, according to his defense team.
The 85-year-old opposition figure began the protest while being treated in hospital, objecting to what his lawyers described as complete isolation and restrictions on access to visitors. His health has already deteriorated significantly in recent months, with repeated hospital treatment reported.
Ghannouchi’s lawyers say the decision to end the strike was made after medical advice, but they are continuing to demand an end to his isolation and improved detention conditions.
The development comes just weeks after a Tunisian court sentenced Ghannouchi to life in prison plus 30 years in a major case involving alleged terrorism-related offenses. His supporters reject the accusations and have described the proceedings as politically motivated, while Tunisian authorities maintain that the prosecutions are lawful.
The end of the hunger strike eases the immediate medical danger but does not resolve the wider confrontation between Ghannouchi and Tunisia’s authorities.
His detention and deteriorating health have drawn increasing attention from rights groups and international figures, keeping his case at the center of concerns over political freedoms and the treatment of opposition figures in Tunisia.
The focus now shifts to his health, detention conditions and whether authorities will respond to demands for greater access and medical care.
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