Political prisoners voice concern over Rached Ghannouchi's health and visitation rights

In a statement released on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, the detainees, including Issam Chebbi, Ahmed Néjib Chebbi, and Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, denounced the alleged prohibition of family and lawyer visits during Ghannouchi's recent hospitalization. They called on political authorities to respect the law and guarantee his rights as a Tunisian citizen. This statement follows earlier appeals from Ghannouchi's family, who had reported a "rapid and continuous" deterioration of his health.

They stated that he had been transferred to a hospital six times in July, suffering from severe high blood pressure and unusual exhaustion, in addition to Parkinson's disease, which he had before his arrest in April 2023. The family also claimed that authorities had prohibited family and lawyer visits for eleven days after one of his hospitalizations, and they criticized a new administrative measure that could extend such prohibitions for hospitalized detainees up to 21 days. They also requested access to his medical records and the intervention of independent doctors.

Currently, Rached Ghannouchi faces multiple legal proceedings, with convictions totaling 40 years in prison, a life sentence, and an additional 30 years in the "secret apparatus" case, along with significant financial penalties. The political pri