The Jasmines are still alive in Tunisia, and Ghannouchi is still breathing

Amid the interesting situations we recently described as emerging against Houthi rule in Yemen, similar interesting developments were simultaneously taking place in both Libya and Tunisia. The fact that these three countries of the Arab Spring have mobilized at the same time is a noteworthy situation in its own right. These can be read as signs that counter-revolutionary processes have failed to establish stability, and that the public’s demands for a better life, liberty, justice, and bread cannot be suppressed indefinitely, even if they are postponed.

The recent protests in Tunisia represent a new phase of the political tension that has built up over the past five years, moving beyond ordinary economic discontent or opposition anniversary demonstrations. Of course, one cannot speak of a popular uprising on a scale that would recall the 2011 Jasmine Revolution, but it is possible to say that these events point to a significant erosion of the regime's social legitimacy.

The symbolic meaning of the protests held on July 25 lies in the fact that this date marks the 5th anniversary of the day Kais Saied suspended parliament in 2021 and concentrated extraordinary powers in his own hands. On that day, many Tunisians supported Saied's move due to the political deadlock, economic crisis, and endless bickering in parliament. The erosion of Ennahda during its time as a coalition partner and the paralysis of the state mechanism had generated a strong expectation for change among broad segments of society. Therefore, Saied's intervention enjoyed significant social legitimacy in its early years.

Today, however, it is clear that this same social landscape has shifted significantly. When the slogans that stood out in recent protests are carefully examined, the opposition’s collective discourse has converged on the point that "The problem is not Ennahda; the problem is that the state has become governed by the will of a single person." This shift indicates that an important psychological threshold has been crossed in Tunisian politics.

Nevertheless, the primary determining factor behind the growth of the protests seems to be the economy rather than politics. Kais Saied largely built his power on fighting corruption, restoring national sovereignty, and projecting the image of a strong leader speaking on behalf of the people. However, over the past five years, the economic picture has not improved enough to support this rhetoric. High inflation, rising unemployment, a lack of investment, troubles in public finance, and the increasingly growing migration trend among the youth population constantly fuel social dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, the power cuts and disruptions in basic public services experienced in recent weeks have turned economic hardships into a directly felt part of daily life. For this reason, the backlash rising on the streets today is fueled not only by demands for freedom but also by financial hardship.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the recent protests is that they have managed to bring together opposition factions that had long stood disconnected from one another. The fact that leftist movements, liberals, trade unions, human rights organizations, independent jurists, and Islamist circles came side by side in the same demonstrations shows that a social coalition this broad has formed for the first time since 2021. It cannot be said that this coalition has yet formed a political alternative capable of changing the government. However, it cannot be denied either that it possesses the potential to shift the direction of the political atmosphere.

In this process, the situation of Rachid Ghannouchi has also gained a distinct importance. Today, very few people in Tunisia believe that Ghannouchi can return to the center of active politics due to his advanced age and illness. Despite this, reports regarding his health condition in prison and the inability of his family and lawyers to access him have turned him into a symbol of the rule of law debate, moving beyond mere political rivalry. Thus, the issue has ceased to be solely about the future of Ennahda and has transformed into a debate over political prisoners and the constitutional state.

URGENT CALL FOR RACHID GHANNOUCHI

On behalf of his family, his daughter Tasnim Ghannouchi released a statement two days ago exposing the gravity of his situation. In summary, she states the following:

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

During the month of July, my father Rachid Gannouchi was urgently transferred to the hospital six times from the prison where he is being held by the Tunisian authorities. Over the last two months, his health condition has been deteriorating continuously and rapidly. Approximately two weeks ago, immediately after returning to prison from the hospital, he lost consciousness during a meeting with his lawyer due to the extreme heat, his blood pressure spiked to 23, and he was hospitalized once again.

During the period he was transferred to the hospital, Tunisian authorities held my father under total isolation for 11 days; they prevented his family and lawyers from visiting him or receiving information about his health status, and they concealed all of his medical information. During this process, my father refused to eat or use his medication in demand of his visitation rights and the recognition of his fundamental rights. After returning to prison, his health condition worsened again, and he was transferred to the hospital for the sixth time this month alone.

As the family of the 85-year-old Rachid Gannouchi, former President of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People of Tunisia and opposition leader, we issue an urgent call to the international public. We declare to the public that every time our father is transferred to the hospital, he is subjected to total isolation, visits are blocked, and a serious information blackout is enforced regarding his health condition.

Furthermore, we consider the new practice, which bans detained individuals transferred to the hospital from meeting with their families and lawyers for up to 21 days, to be arbitrary and unlawful. The concealment of his medical file and the exclusion of independent doctors constitute severe mistreatment that deprives my father of his most fundamental rights.

Before his arrest, despite his Parkinson's disease, my father led an active life thanks to his healthy lifestyle and regular exercise. Following his arrest, however, severe blood pressure crises and serious health problems that he had never experienced before have emerged. We harbor serious concerns regarding the accuracy of the treatment administered and the medications given in prison. For this reason, we demand full access to his medical file and that he be examined by independent doctors.

The practices of the Tunisian authorities also violate international law. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in its opinion No. 63/2025, found Ghannouchi's detention to be arbitrary and unlawful, demanding his immediate release. The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights has also issued a binding provisional measures order directing that he be allowed to meet with his family and lawyers, be examined by independent doctors, and have his fundamental rights guaranteed. Despite this, Tunisian authorities fail to implement these decisions and continue their isolation practices.

Therefore, we demand from the Tunisian authorities that they fully implement international decisions, immediately lift the isolation at the hospital, allow his family and lawyers to visit him freely, transparently share his medical file, permit examinations by independent doctors, and release Ghannouchi immediately and unconditionally.

Holding an 85-year-old politician arbitrarily in prison for over three years amounts to a death sentence drawn out over time. Tunisian authorities are legally, criminally, and morally fully responsible for Ghannouchi's health, safety, and life.

We urgently call upon human rights organizations, the international media, and the global public to take immediate action to protect his life before it is too late.”