The defense of political prisoners in Tunisia announced the deterioration of the health of the leader of the National Salvation Front (opposition) Jawhar Ben Mubarak in prison after suffering from a serious health symptom represented by symptoms of a stroke.
This came in a statement issued by the (non-governmental) commission published through its official Facebook account, in which it said, "Jawhar bin Mubarak, who was detained against the background of what is known as the case of conspiracy against state security, his health condition deteriorated in his prison in Mornaguia (Manouba governorate, west of the capital) on Thursday night, Friday."
The defense committee for opposition politicians arrested in #تونس confirms the deteriorating health condition of political activist Jawhar Ben Mubarak inside prison (statement) pic.twitter.com/wHcXZUf3xY
— Neila Hammi | Naila El Hami (@Neila_Hammi) July 21, 2023
The Commission accused the prison administration of deliberately procrastinating in the health intervention despite calling the guards to help him, and considered that this serious incident is conclusive evidence of the falsity of the administration's claims that the surveillance camera installed in the detention rooms of political prisoners has been placed to protect them from possible attacks and to help them urgently in the event of any health emergency, according to the statement.
The statement called on the General Authority for Prisons and Reform and the Mornaguia prison administration to carry out the tests and analyzes required by the health condition of Jawhar Ben Mubarak, holding it fully responsible for the consequences of any negligence or negligence.
Lawyer Dalila Mosaddegh, sister of Jawhar bin Mubarak, pointed out in a Facebook post that she noticed the change in the color of her brother's face and the presence of blueness surrounding his eyes when she visited him in prison, and said that he told her that he felt severe pain at the level of the chest, numbness at the level of the hands, inability to breathe, nausea and then fainted.
Ezzedine al-Hezki, Jawhar bin Mubarak's father, said in a Facebook post, "I learned that the health condition of the detained prisoner my son Jawhar has deteriorated in the past few hours to a point that causes concern and fear for him."
"I warn (President) Kais Saied and all those who stood behind the kidnapping and arrest of my son of the consequences of this on his health and his life, and I consider them criminally responsible for that," he said.
The arrests in what is known as the case of conspiracy against internal and external state security began last February, and included dozens of political activists from the front line of their parties from various political and intellectual currents.
Among the most prominent of these are Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi, leaders of the Salvation Front Jawhar Ben Mubarak and Shaima Issa, former minister Khiam al-Turki and secretary-general of the Republican Party Essam Chebbi, and investigations have recently expanded to include the head of the Salvation Front Ahmed Najib Chebbi and former officials.
The opposition describes the exceptional measures taken by President Kais Saied in July 2021 as a "coup", while Saied considers them a legal and necessary step to save the country from chaos and corruption.