Denial of Deterioration of Health Condition of Detainees on Hunger Strike
The spokesperson for the General Committee of Prisons and Rehabilitation, Ramzi Kouki, denied on Tuesday the information "once again relayed about the alleged deterioration of the health condition of certain detainees on hunger strike". "The information disseminated by some parties through the media and social networks is unfounded," he told the TAP agency.
On Monday evening, lawyer Dalila Ben M'barek Msaddek affirmed, during a press conference held by the families of detainees in the so-called "plot against state security" case, that the health condition of her brother, Jaouher Ben M'barek, "continues to deteriorate, making us fear for his life". She added that her brother had been transferred to the hospital to receive necessary care, but he had refused any medical intervention before being returned to his cell, only drinking water.
According to Ramzi Kouki, the health condition of all detainees declaring themselves on hunger strike is subject to "continuous medical monitoring", in accordance with procedures and the sanitary protocol in force. He affirmed that the hunger strikes announced by certain detainees are "unverified", and this "based on the testimony of prison medical staff and public hospital doctors".
The spokesperson for the General Committee of Prisons and Rehabilitation mentioned, in this regard, the refusal of certain detainees to undergo medical examinations to measure their vital parameters. He emphasized that the General Committee of Prisons and Rehabilitation ensures the application of the law and equality of rights among all detainees, adding that it has initiated judicial proceedings against those who have disseminated incorrect information on this matter.
It is worth recalling that Jaouher Ben M'barek, tried in the so-called "plot against state security" case, had announced on October 29 that he was starting a "wild" hunger strike to protest against his "illegal" detention.
For her part, the wife of detainee Abdelhamid Jelassi (Ennahdha) indicated on Monday evening that her husband had joined the hunger strike led by several political detainees involved in the same case, including Issam Chebbi (Al-Joumhouri), who has been on hunger strike since last Thursday.
