Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş on Thursday called for the release of jailed Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi and urged authorities to provide him with adequate medical care and humane conditions amid concerns over his health.
Kurtulmuş said he was closely following developments surrounding Ghannouchi, the leader of Tunisia’s Ennahda movement and former speaker of the Tunisian Parliament, who recently ended a hunger and medication strike at the request of the team monitoring his health.
“Considering his advanced age and existing health problems, the seriousness of Ghannouchi’s condition must not be overlooked,” Kurtulmuş said in a social media post.
He called Ghannouchi a prominent figure in the struggle for “peace, democracy and solidarity” and praised his political role in Tunisia.
Kurtulmuş said Ghannouchi had remained committed to his political and democratic principles despite pressure, exile and imprisonment and had gained recognition in Tunisia and internationally for his role during the country’s political transition.
