Jawhar Ben Mbarek’s sister mentioned his well being had ‘severely deteriorated’ and a ‘harmful toxin’ was detected in his physique.
Printed On 15 Nov 2025
Jailed Tunisian opposition figure Jawhar Ben Mbarek has been hospitalised because of extreme dehydration, his household has mentioned, as his well being continues to deteriorate after greater than two weeks on starvation strike.
Ben Mbarek, the cofounder of Tunisia’s foremost opposition alliance, the Nationwide Salvation Entrance, began his starvation strike on October 29 to protest his detention in jail since February 2023.
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In a Fb put up on Friday, Ben Mbarek’s sister, Dalila Ben Mbarek Msaddek, warned that her brother’s well being had now “severely deteriorated” and medical doctors detected “a extremely harmful toxin” affecting his kidneys.
Msaddek mentioned Ben Mbarek had “acquired remedy however refused dietary dietary supplements” on the hospital the place he was transferred on Thursday evening, insisting on persevering with his now 17-day protest.
The politician was discharged from hospital on Friday afternoon and returned to jail, Msaddek added.
On Wednesday, Ben Mbarek’s lawyer Hanen Khmiri mentioned he had “confronted torture” by the hands of guards at Belli jail, as they tried to pressure him to finish his protest.
“He was severely crushed, we noticed fractures and bruises on his physique,” Khmiri mentioned, including that she had filed a grievance with the general public prosecutor, who promised to analyze.
“He informed me that 4 of the jail guards beat him severely in a spot the place there is no such thing as a surveillance digicam,” she mentioned.
Ben Mbarek is likely one of the most distinguished opponents of Tunisian strongman President Kais Saied, who has been in energy since 2019.
In April, he was sentenced to 18 years in jail on expenses of “conspiracy in opposition to state safety” and “belonging to a terrorist group”, in a mass trial of opposition figures slammed by human rights teams as politically motivated.
Ben Mbarek has denied the fees, which he has referred to as fabricated.
Rights teams have warned of a pointy decline in civil liberties in Tunisia since a sweeping energy seize by Saied in July 2021, when he dissolved parliament and expanded government energy so he might rule by decree.
That decree was later enshrined in a brand new structure, ratified by a extensively boycotted 2022 referendum. Media figures and legal professionals important of Saied have additionally been prosecuted and detained below a harsh “faux information” regulation enacted the identical yr.
Final week, Ben Mbarek’s household and distinguished members of Tunisia’s political opposition introduced they’d be a part of him in a collective hunger strike.
Among the many contributors was Issam Chebbi, the chief of the centrist Al Joumhouri (Republican) Celebration, who can be behind bars after being convicted in the identical mass trial as Ben Mbarek earlier this yr.
Rached Ghannouchi, the 84-year-old chief of the Ennahdha occasion, who can be serving a hefty jail sentence, additionally mentioned he would be a part of the protest. Chebbi and Ghannouchi’s present situation shouldn’t be recognized.
Jail authorities have maintained the boys are below “steady medical supervision” and denied “rumours concerning the deterioration within the well being of any detainees”.
