Tunisian political prisoners declared their intention to start a hunger strike on International Human Rights Day, which countries around the world celebrate on December 10 every year.
“On the occasion of Human Rights Day, we, the political detainees in the Mornaguia prison, announce to public opinion that we will enter into a symbolic hunger strike on Sunday, December 10, 2023, in denunciation of the brutal Israeli aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip,” reads a press release published by the coalition of political detainee families.
According to the press release, the symbolic hunger strike is also a denunciation of “serious and escalating human rights violations in Tunisia and politically motivated trials.”
Since February 2023, Tunisian authorities have opened criminal investigations against at least 40 people on accusations concerning charges of conspiracy that rights activists have deemed to be unfounded.
In July 2021, President Saied sacked the government and suspended parliament before moving to rule by decree and eventually taking control of the judiciary, in a move described by opposition parties as a constitutional coup.
Since then, dozens of opposition figures deemed critical of the Tunisian government have been arrested in a growing crackdown against the country’s opposition, raising grave concern about the country’s deteriorating record on freedom of expression and human rights.
