Tunisian flotilla activists remain jailed as hunger striker worsens

Tunis, Tunisia – Six months aft Tunisian authorities began arresting organisers of a pro-Palestinian flotilla, 4 activists stay successful pre-trial detention, with increasing interest implicit the wellness of 1 of them, who has been connected hunger onslaught for much than 3 weeks.

Wael Naouar, a Tunisian activistic and subordinate of the steering committee of the Global Sumud Flotilla, began his hunger onslaught connected August 16 to protestation his continued detention.

His lawyer, Bassem Trifi, who is besides president of the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH), said connected Tuesday that Naouar was entering his 24th time without nutrient and described his information arsenic “very serious”.

Trifi, who visited Naouar successful situation past week, said the activistic had mislaid 18kg (40lb) and was suffering from debased humor unit and debased humor sugar, arsenic good arsenic trouble breathing, walking and speaking. He was besides experiencing symptom passim his body, peculiarly successful his stomach, Trifi said.

Anis Harrathi, an activistic and subordinate of the committee supporting the detainees, said Naouar was alert of the carnal risks of a prolonged hunger strike, but had chosen to proceed due to the fact that helium believed remaining soundless was much perilous than continuing his strike.

“Wael knows precise good the risks of a hunger strike,” Harrathi told Al Jazeera. “Yet helium chose to enactment his assemblage successful confrontation with an full system, due to the fact that determination comes a infinitesimal erstwhile soundlessness becomes much unsafe than hunger.”

Harrathi said Naouar’s protestation was not astir idiosyncratic heroism but what helium sees arsenic a broader injustice affecting him and the different detainees.

“Wael is not protesting lone against his imprisonment,” Harrathi said. “He is protesting against a logic that wants to crook situation into a instrumentality utilized to soundlessness opposing voices, crook solidarity with Palestine into a charge, and crook civilian and governmental activism into a information case.”

What are the activists accused of?

Seven activists were initially detained successful transportation with the probe successful March. Three person since been released, leaving Naouar and 3 others, Nabil Channoufi, Ghassan Henchiri and Ghassan Boughdiri, successful pre-trial detention.

The lawsuit remains nether judicial investigation, and nary of the 4 has been convicted of an offence.

The probe was ordered by Tunisia’s Economic and Financial Judicial Pole, a specialised assemblage that handles large economical and fiscal cases, implicit what authorities quality bureau TAP described, citing a judicial source, arsenic “suspicious fiscal flows” received by organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Investigators person been examining the root and usage of the funds and whether they were diverted for purposes unrelated to the flotilla.

Trifi said the probe concerns allegations including wealth laundering, aggravated breach of trust, and forgery. He argued that the fundraising activities astatine the centre of the lawsuit were portion of a solidarity run and should not beryllium treated successful the aforesaid mode arsenic mean fiscal transactions taxable to nationalist procurement and accounting rules.

He besides said the fundraising took spot astatine a known determination “under the extortion of the information services and nether the eyes of the state”.

Tunisian authorities person not publically elaborate the allegations against the 4 oregon responded to requests for remark connected their detention and Naouar’s health.

Supporters of the detainees cull the allegations and accidental the lawsuit is aimed astatine criminalising solidarity with Palestinians and efforts to organise different flotilla towards Gaza. The Global Sumud Flotilla has described the allegations arsenic unfounded and called for the activists’ release.

“What is happening to him [Naouar] and the different detainees cannot beryllium treated arsenic simply a abstracted judicial lawsuit detached from its governmental context,” Harrathi told Al Jazeera.

The lawsuit comes amid increasing planetary disapproval of Tunisia’s attraction of civilian nine groups and activists.

A Human Rights Watch study published past week documented what it described arsenic the “weaponisation” of fiscal and transgression investigations, alongside arrests, detention and administrative measures, against civilian nine organisations and their members successful the country. The radical said astatine slightest 47 radical connected to NGOs successful Tunisia had been prosecuted and astatine slightest 14 convicted and sentenced to situation since 2025.

Human Rights Watch said authorities had utilized fiscal transgression and money-laundering laws against quality rights defenders and NGO workers, raising concerns that specified investigations were being utilized to intimidate and restrict civic space.

Meanwhile, Rachid Othmani, a subordinate of the National Committee for Defense of Sumud Flotilla Activists, spoke astatine a solidarity rally successful Tunis connected Sunday, saying supporters would not beryllium intimidated by situation oregon repression and would proceed their run until the detainees were freed.

“Our eyes and hearts are with our comrade Wael, who is lasting steadfast successful the look of death,” Othmani said. “His beingness and his bequest volition beryllium longer and greater than those of those holding him.”

Brazilian activistic Thiago Avila, who took portion successful the flotilla and was antecedently detained by Israel, has besides called for the Tunisian activists to beryllium released, saying nary 1 should beryllium detained for acting successful solidarity with Palestinians.

The quality rights radical HuMENA has besides called for their release, saying the continued pre-trial detention raises concerns implicit owed process and the criminalisation of peaceful civic activity.

Wider governmental context

The arrests person unfolded amid increasing restrictions connected civilian nine and governmental enactment successful Tunisia nether President Kais Saied.

Saied has consolidated powerfulness crossed authorities institutions since 2021, erstwhile helium suspended parliament, dismissed the government, and began ruling by decree. His authorities has faced sustained disapproval from rights groups, which impeach authorities of utilizing prosecutions and prolonged pre-trial detention against governmental opponents, journalists, lawyers and activists.

Saied and his authorities person rejected accusations that prosecutions are politically motivated and person maintained that the judiciary operates independently.

The 4 activists are owed to look successful tribunal connected September 16, and Naouar’s hunger onslaught is present entering its 4th week.

Despite his deteriorating health, Trifi said Naouar remains determined to proceed his hunger strike. When asked however acold helium thought Naouar was prepared to instrumentality it, Trifi pointed to a operation the activistic often tells his woman erstwhile helium is detained: “Until the stars pain out.”