An intense heatwave has exacerbated already harsh conditions at Mornaguia prison, where visitor Haifa Chebbi says 85‑year‑old opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi fainted. Temperatures reportedly reached 52°C (126°F) as detainees remain confined to small cells with only two hours outside each day. The case comes amid the 2025 jailing of 37 opposition figures — an action the UN called "a setback to justice and rule of law" — and has prompted calls for broader political action.
Jailed Opposition Leader Collapses as 52°C Heatwave Devastates Tunisian Prison
Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia's Islamist Ennahda party in Tunis, Tunisia November 13, 2019 [File: Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters]
An intense heatwave has worsened conditions at Mornaguia prison in Tunisia and led to a temporary loss of consciousness by jailed opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, a visitor said after witnessing the incident.
Witness Account and Prison Conditions
Haifa Chebbi, daughter of prominent political prisoner Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, published an emotional live video on Facebook following a Tuesday visit in which she said she saw the 85‑year‑old Ghannouchi faint inside the facility. Chebbi said the temperature in parts of the prison reached about 52°C (126°F) during her visit and described the atmosphere as "stifling".
She said detainees spend most of their time confined to cells no larger than 16 square metres (about 172 square feet) and are permitted only two hours outside each day. Chebbi added that several elderly inmates are now enduring their fourth summer behind bars and that the extreme heat is taking a visible toll on older prisoners.
Background: Political Trials and Detentions
Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, 81, helped form the National Salvation Front (FSN) in 2022, a broad coalition of secular, liberal and Islamist groups opposing President Kais Saied's increasingly centralised rule. In 2025 he was among 37 opposition figures charged with "conspiracy against state security" and later sentenced to 12 years in prison.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk described the imprisonment of the 37 defendants as "a setback to justice and rule of law," saying the process was marred by violations of fair trial and due process rights.
Rached Ghannouchi, a former speaker of parliament and leader of the Ennahda movement, has been detained since 2023. He was rushed to hospital on April 30 after a sharp deterioration in his health and has since been returned to Mornaguia prison.
Other Detainees and Wider Context
In her video, Haifa Chebbi named other imprisoned opposition figures, including lawyers Abir Moussi and Ayachi Hammami, radio journalist Ziad El Hani, and activist Chaima Issa. She stressed that prison staff appeared to be doing what they could, especially for elderly inmates, but said the fainting incident highlighted systemic problems exacerbated by the heatwave.
Chebbi linked the detentions to broader public unrest over shortages of water and electricity and urged Tunisians to take action toward meaningful political change. "We are responsible for everything that will happen, whether negative or positive," she said.
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