Tunis [Tunisia], November 8 (ANI): Several senior figures from Tunisia's political opposition have begun a collective hunger strike in support of detained opposition leader Jawhar Ben Mbarek, whose health has reportedly worsened after more than a week without food, Al Jazeera reported.

Ben Mbarek, a cofounder of the National Salvation Front, the country's main opposition alliance, has been on a hunger strike since last week to protest his detention, which dates back to February 2023, according to Al Jazeera.

His father, veteran activist Ezzeddine Hazgui, told reporters at a news conference in Tunis on Friday that his son's condition is in a 'worrisome condition, and his health is deteriorating.' Hazgui also said that his family would join the hunger strike 'in solidarity' with him, adding, 'We will not forgive [Tunisian President] Kais Saied.'

Top opposition leaders also declared on Friday that they would participate in the protest. Among them is Issam Chebbi, head of the centrist Al Joumhouri (Republican) Party, who is also imprisoned after being convicted in the same mass trial as Ben Mbarek earlier this year. Party official Wissam Sghaier said other members would follow Chebbi's example, Al Jazeera reported.

Rached Ghannouchi, the 84-year-old Ennahdha party leader who is serving multiple prison terms, also announced his participation. A post on his official Facebook page stated that his hunger strike aimed to support Ben Mbarek while defending 'the independence of justice and freedom in the country.'

Ben Mbarek was sentenced in April to 18 years in prison on charges of 'conspiracy against state security' and 'belonging to a terrorist group,' charges that rights groups have denounced as politically motivated.

According to Al Jazeera, human rights organisations have repeatedly expressed alarm over Tunisia's shrinking civil liberties since President Kais Saied came to power in 2019. Saied's 2021 move to dissolve parliament and expand executive authority allowed him to rule by decree, powers later cemented through a 2022 constitution that critics say undermined democratic governance.

Recent months have also seen the prosecution of journalists, lawyers, and activists under a controversial 'fake news' law introduced the same year. On October 31, lawyer and outspoken Saied critic Ahmed Souab was sentenced to five years in prison under the decree.

The Tunisian League for Human Rights said there had been 'numerous attempts' to persuade Ben Mbarek to end his protest, but he remained 'committed to maintain it until the injustice inflicted upon him is lifted.'

Prison authorities, however, denied on Wednesday that the health of any prisoner had deteriorated as a result of a hunger strike.

The Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK said questions had been raised about whether prison officials were upholding medical care standards and 'safeguarding of their right to physical safety and human dignity.' The group reminded that 'Tunisian law explicitly stipulates the state's responsibility to protect the life of any prisoner, even if that person chooses hunger strike as a form of protest.'

'The prison administration is therefore obliged to ensure appropriate medical care and regular monitoring,' the organisation added, describing Ben Mbarek's protest as part of 'a broader climate of political and social tension that transcends his personal situation.'

'His action represents a form of protest against detention conditions and judicial processes that many view as influenced by current political polarisation,' the group noted, adding that 'ultimately, the case of Jawhar Ben Mbarek exposes a deeper crisis concerning respect for the rule of law and the principle of accountability.' (ANI)