Jailed Tunisian Flotilla Activist's Hunger Strike Enters Its Fourth Week

A Tunisian activist detained over his role in organising a Gaza-bound aid flotilla has been on hunger strike since 16 August, and his lawyer says his health is deteriorating as he and three others remain in custody ahead of a court date on 16 September.

Wael Naouar has lost 18kg, according to his lawyer, Bassem Trifi, who is also president of the Tunisian League for Human Rights. Trifi said Naouar is suffering from low blood pressure, low blood sugar, breathing difficulties and pain throughout his body.

The case against the activists

Seven people were arrested in March 2026 in an investigation connected to the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian initiative that set out to carry aid to Gaza. Three have since been released. Naouar remains in detention with Nabil Channoufi, Ghassan Henchiri and Ghassan Boughdiri.

The case is being handled by Tunisia's Economic and Financial Judicial Pole, which is examining allegations of money laundering, aggravated breach of trust and forgery. Authorities have said they are investigating "suspicious financial flows" received by the organisers, including where the money came from and whether any of it was diverted from the flotilla's stated purpose.

Officials have not publicly set out the evidence behind the allegations and have not responded to questions about why the four men remain in custody six months after their arrest.

Why it matters

Supporters of the detainees say the case criminalises solidarity with Palestinians, a cause with deep public support in Tunisia. That gives the prosecution an unusual political edge: President Kais Saied has been an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian cause, yet his authorities are prosecuting activists who organised aid for Gaza.

Rights organisations see the case as part of a broader pattern. Human Rights Watch has documented what it calls the "weaponisation" of financial investigations against civil society in Tunisia, and the regional group HuMENA has called for the activists' release, citing concerns about due process.

Since Saied suspended parliament and began governing by decree in 2021, opposition politicians, lawyers, journalists and activists have faced prosecution in growing numbers. Earlier this month, Tunisia's top court upheld long prison sentences, some as long as 45 years, handed down in a mass trial of opposition figures. Critics argue that financial and anti-terrorism laws have become preferred tools for pursuing government opponents because they carry heavy penalties and allow lengthy pre-trial detention.

Key points

Detained: four of the seven people arrested in March remain in custody.
Allegations under investigation: money laundering, aggravated breach of trust and forgery.
Hunger strike: Wael Naouar has refused food since 16 August and has lost 18kg, according to his lawyer.
Official position: authorities have not publicly detailed the evidence.
Next step: a court date is set for 16 September.

The health risk

Prolonged hunger strikes become increasingly dangerous after several weeks, with risks to the heart, kidneys and nervous system that can persist even after a person resumes eating. The symptoms Trifi describes suggest Naouar's body is already under serious strain, which adds urgency to the upcoming hearing and to calls for him to receive independent medical care.

Outlook

The hearing on 16 September is the next test. A decision to release the men pending trial would ease the immediate medical concern, while continued detention would likely intensify pressure from rights groups and from supporters abroad who took part in flotilla campaigns.

Beyond the four detainees, the case is being watched as a measure of how far Tunisia's authorities are prepared to go in scrutinising civil society funding, and whether causes the government itself champions offer any protection to those who organise around them.

Image: Dacoslett via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0