Tunisia blocks access to jailed Ghannouchi after prison collapse

Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has not been seen by his family or lawyers for 11 days after collapsing in prison and being taken to hospital, according to his son. The family says Tunisian authorities have refused to provide any information about the 85-year-old politician's medical condition or where he is being treated, intensifying concerns over his welfare amid the country's ongoing political tensions.

Family says access remains blocked

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Moadh Ghannouchi said his father's legal team last met him only a few days before he lost consciousness on July 17. Since then, repeated requests to visit him in hospital, including an application submitted to the public prosecutor, have reportedly been rejected. "It is like a situation of enforced disappearance," Moadh said, adding that neither relatives nor lawyers have received official confirmation about his location or health.

Health concerns grow after prison collapse

According to his son, Ghannouchi suffers from high blood pressure and respiratory problems and had been held in a prison without air conditioning during an intense summer heatwave in Tunisia. Moadh accused the authorities of failing to protect his father's health and said they bear full responsibility for his current condition. "It was not enough to imprison him – they want to torment him further," he told Al Jazeera, arguing that the prolonged isolation has also placed significant emotional strain on the family.

Conflicting reports fuel uncertainty

Rumours circulating on social media have suggested that Ghannouchi may be receiving treatment either at Tunis's Rabta public hospital or at a military hospital, while some unverified claims alleged that he suffered a heart attack. However, the family says officials have not confirmed any of those reports. On Monday, Ghannouchi's defence team called for immediate clarification regarding his health in a statement shared on its official Facebook page. An Ennahda party spokesperson also said the movement has not been informed of the veteran politician's whereabouts or medical status.

Political backdrop in Tunisia

Ghannouchi, the former speaker of Tunisia's parliament and one of the country's best-known opposition figures, has been imprisoned since April 2023. He was later sentenced to life in prison in a case that his supporters describe as politically motivated. President Kais Saied's administration rejects accusations that legal proceedings against opposition figures are driven by politics, maintaining that prosecutions are carried out under the rule of law. The case continues to draw international attention as concerns over political freedoms and judicial independence in Tunisia persist.