The opposition Ennahdha movement in Tunisia announced on Thursday that the health of its imprisoned leader, Rashid Ghannouchi, had deteriorated sharply and that the prison administration had urgently transferred him to a hospital. Ghannouchi, who served as Speaker of Parliament whose work was suspended by President Kais Saied in 2021, was sentenced to prison terms of up to 70 years in several cases that he says were “fabricated.”

Published on: 04/30/2026 - 14:10 Last updated: 04/30/2026 - 14:16

Rashid Ghannouchi, leader of the Ennahda movement in Tunisia, was transferred Thursday from prison to the hospital after his health deteriorated sharply. Ghannouchi (84 years old), a fierce critic of President Kais Saied and a prominent figure in Tunisian political life since the 2011 revolution, has been in prison since 2023 as part of what the opposition described as a broad campaign of repression against the main opposition figures.

Ghannouchi, who served as Speaker of Parliament whose work Saied suspended in 2021, was sentenced to prison terms of up to 70 years in cases that he says were fabricated, and he refused to appear before judges in court, saying that he does not trust judges whose rulings are ready and who receive instructions.

The movement said in a statement that the prison authorities transferred Ghannouchi to the hospital, without providing additional details. The statement added, "He was transferred urgently by the prison administration after suffering a sharp deterioration in his health, to receive treatment, stay, and undergo medical observation for days," and the movement called for his immediate release.

Read also: Tunisia: Severe sentences against Ghannouchi, Mechichi, and two journalists on charges of “harming state security”

Kais Saied suddenly suspended the work of the elected parliament in 2021, and began ruling by decree, which the opposition described as a coup. Tunisia, which was considered the only democratic success story after the Arab Spring revolutions 15 years ago, is facing increasing criticism from international human rights organizations regarding the restrictions imposed on opponents, the media and civil society.

Leaders of the most prominent opposition parties have been imprisoned over the past three years, along with dozens of politicians, journalists, activists, and businessmen, on charges related to conspiracy against state security, money laundering, and corruption. Saied says that he will not be a dictator and that freedoms are guaranteed in Tunisia, but he also confirms that no one is above accountability, regardless of his name or position.

France 24/Reuters

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