"In a Facebook post on Friday, Ben Mbarek's sister, Dalila Ben Mbarek Msaddek, warned that her brother's health had now severely deteriorated and doctors detected a highly dangerous toxin affecting his kidneys. Msaddek said Ben Mbarek had received treatment but refused nutritional supplements at the hospital where he was transferred on Thursday night, insisting on continuing his now 17-day protest."
"The politician was discharged from hospital on Friday afternoon and returned to prison, Msaddek added. On Wednesday, Ben Mbarek's lawyer Hanen Khmiri said he had faced torture at the hands of guards at Belli prison, as they attempted to force him to end his protest. He was severely beaten, we saw fractures and bruises on his body, Khmiri said, adding that she had filed a complaint with the public prosecutor, who promised to investigate."
"He told me that four of the prison guards beat him severely in a place where there is no surveillance camera, she said. Ben Mbarek is one of the most prominent opponents of Tunisian strongman President Kais Saied, who has been in power since 2019. In April, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges of conspiracy against state security and belonging to a terrorist group, in a mass trial of opposition figures slammed by human rights groups as politically motivated."
Jawhar Ben Mbarek was hospitalised with severe dehydration after more than two weeks on hunger strike that began on October 29 to protest detention since February 2023. He co-founded the National Salvation Front. Doctors detected a highly dangerous toxin affecting his kidneys; he received treatment but refused nutritional supplements and insisted on continuing the 17-day protest. He was discharged from hospital and returned to prison. His lawyer reported that guards at Belli prison severely beat him, causing fractures and bruises, and a complaint was filed with the public prosecutor. He was sentenced in April to 18 years on charges including conspiracy and belonging to a terrorist group.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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