Gaza solidarity activist Wael Naouar has been hospitalised after more than a month on hunger strike in Tunisian custody, rights groups say. His lawyer and human rights organisations warn he is in critical condition, having lost over 20kg and reached day 39 of the strike. Naouar and three other activists arrested in March face allegations of misusing funds raised for the Global Sumud Flotilla but remain in pre-trial detention. Human Rights Watch alleges the investigations are being "weaponised," while Tunisian authorities deny political motives.
Gaza Flotilla Activist Hospitalised After Month-Long Hunger Strike, Rights Groups Warn He Is Near Death
Hamida Dridi, mother of detained pro-Palestinian activist Wael Naouar, sits with her son, Nabil Naouar, as they look at a phone at their home in Tunis, Tunisia [File: Stringer/Reuters]
Gaza solidarity activist Wael Naouar was admitted to hospital after more than a month on hunger strike to protest his detention in Tunisia, the Gaza Sumud Flotilla group said.
Bassem Trifi, head of the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LTDH), said Naouar was in "a very critical health condition and on the verge of death." The Gaza Sumud Flotilla added that Tunisian authorities were refusing to share information with his family or lawyers.
Background
Naouar and three other activists — Ghassen Henchiri, Ghassen Boughdiri and Nabil Channoufi — were arrested in March and accused of misusing funds raised for the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international campaign that sought to challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza. All four remain in pre-trial detention and have not been convicted.
Health Concerns and Legal Developments
The Gaza Sumud Flotilla said Naouar was on day 39 of his hunger strike and, according to his lawyer, has lost more than 20 kg (about 44 lb) and suffers widespread pain. Ghassen Bouaazi, of the National Committee for the Defence of Sumud Flotilla Activists, reported repeated fainting, breathing difficulties and hallucinations.
“There is now a real danger threatening him,” Bouaazi told Al Jazeera during a protest in Tunis.
The group also said a judge rejected an appeal to end the extension of the four activists' pre-trial detention. At least 11 people were arrested in Tunisia after taking part in demonstrations calling for the activists' release.
Rights Groups and Government Response
Human Rights Watch has documented what it describes as the "weaponisation" of financial and criminal investigations against civil society activists in Tunisia. Tunisian authorities deny the prosecutions are politically motivated; President Kais Saied has stated that freedoms are guaranteed, the judiciary is independent and no one is above the law.
The Gaza-bound flotilla set sail last September and was intercepted by Israel, which detained and deported the activists to Tunisia.
Calls for transparency: Rights groups, family members and lawyers have urged Tunisian authorities to disclose Naouar's condition, allow access to medical care and ensure legal safeguards while pre-trial proceedings continue.
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