Tunisia: Deterioration of Rached Ghannouchi’s Health Heightens Risks to His Life and Confirms the Need for the Immediate Release of All Political Prisoners in Tunisia
Tunisia: Deterioration of Rached Ghannouchi’s Health Heightens Risks to His Life and Confirms the Need for the Immediate Release of All Political Prisoners in Tunisia
23 July 2026
The undersigned human rights organizations express their profound concern regarding the serious deterioration in the health condition of the political prisoner, Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi, aged eighty-five, who is receiving treatment in hospital after being transferred there repeatedly during the past weeks, amid an exceptional heatwave currently affecting Tunisia, along with the severe health risks it poses for older persons and those suffering from chronic illnesses.
These developments come in the context of the continued detention of dozens of political opponents, judges, lawyers, journalists, activists, and human rights defenders, in trials that have drawn widespread criticism from international human rights bodies due to violations of fair trial guarantees and the right to defense, as well as the excessive recourse to prolonged detention, in addition to the use of laws with broad and vague wording to criminalize peaceful political activity and freedom of expression.
Rached Ghannouchi is experiencing ongoing deterioration in his health condition. Available information indicates that he has recently suffered fainting inside prison as a result of heat stress, that his blood pressure remains unstable, and that symptoms of Parkinson’s disease have worsened to involve his hands. In addition, he has severe pain in his left leg, breathing interruptions during sleep, and extreme exhaustion exacerbated by high temperatures. He was also transferred to hospital four times during the past month, and he is still receiving treatment, which confirms that his health condition has surpassed what can be managed within the prison institution.
The situation is further aggravated by his advanced age and by the negative freedom-restricting rulings issued against him in several cases, as well as his being pursued in other files, within a broader wave targeting leaders of the political opposition, including Professor Ahmed Najib Chebbi and a number of political and human rights figures, in cases that have drawn widespread criticism from United Nations experts and international organizations for allegedly undermining fundamental rights guaranteed under international human rights law.
The organizations also express their deep concern regarding information indicating that Mr. Ghannouchi’s lawyer and members of his family have been prevented from visiting him while he is in hospital. If these measures are confirmed, they would constitute a clear violation of the right to legal counsel, the right to communicate with one’s family, and the right to independent monitoring of detention conditions and healthcare. These are rights that may not be restricted except in the narrowest circumstances and in accordance with the requirements of necessity and proportionality as determined by law.
The organizations remind that the Tunisian Republic is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. These agreements require the State to guarantee the right to life, the right to health, and the preservation of human dignity, to ensure appropriate medical care for all persons deprived of their liberty, and to guarantee their right to communicate with their lawyers and families, as also affirmed by the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).
The organizations emphasize that depriving any detainee of appropriate medical care, or keeping them in detention despite the existence of serious health risks threatening their life, may amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, which is prohibited by international agreements to which Tunisia has committed.
In light of the foregoing, the undersigned organizations call on the Tunisian authorities to:
Immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and prisoners of opinion in Tunisia.
Urgently release Rached Ghannouchi, given his critical health condition, his advanced age, and the serious risks threatening his life.
Release Professor Ahmed Najib Chebbi and the other detained opposition leaders for their peaceful exercise of their civil and political rights.
Ensure that all detainees receive the necessary specialized medical care without delay or discrimination.
Allow detainees free and regular communication with their lawyers and family members, and respect all fair trial guarantees.
Put an end to the use of criminal courts to pursue political opponents, activists, journalists, and human rights defenders, and fully comply with international standards on judicial independence and the rule of law.
The undersigned organizations warn that the continued detention of older persons and patients under these conditions, and the rapid health deterioration that accompanies it, may lead to tragic outcomes for which the Tunisian authorities would bear full legal and ethical responsibility.
The organizations renew their call to the international community, to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to the UN special procedures, and to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to intensify monitoring of human rights conditions in Tunisia and to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that the Tunisian State respects its international obligations and protects the fundamental rights of all detainees.
Undersigned organizations:
1- Association of Victims of Torture – Geneva
2- Al-Shihab Center for Human Rights – London
3- Free Voice Organization for Human Rights – Paris
4- Sam Organization for Rights and Freedoms – Geneva
5- Solidarity for Human Rights – Geneva
6- Dignity for Human Rights – Paris
7- Najda Organization for Human Rights
8- Human Rights Watch Monitor – London
10- FDI International
11- Dignity – Geneva