ISTANBUL

Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia’s Ennahda Movement and former parliament speaker, marked 1,000 days in detention on Sunday, describing his imprisonment as “a moment of political reckoning.”

In the message released from his Mornaguia Prison and published on the Ennahda Movement’s official Facebook page, Ghannouchi said his imprisonment highlights the extent to which democratic principles and equal citizenship are upheld in Tunisia. He stressed that political exclusion and authoritarianism, in his view, remain closely linked.

Ghannouchi reiterated Ennahda’s long-standing stance against the marginalization of political actors, saying the movement has historically supported political pluralism and the right of all parties to participate in public life, regardless of ideological differences.

Without addressing specific legal proceedings, he called on political forces to remain united and committed to nonviolent engagement, urging Tunisians to overcome divisions and work collectively to safeguard the country’s stability and social cohesion.

The statement was framed in reflective and religious language, focusing on patience and perseverance rather than outlining political demands or mobilization efforts.
Ghannouchi, 84, has been held since April 2023 and is currently serving multiple prison sentences in separate cases. Earlier this month, a Tunisian appeals court upheld a 22-year sentence against him in the Instalingo case.

Tunisian authorities say Ghannouchi and other defendants are being prosecuted on criminal charges related to state security and deny any political interference in judicial proceedings. Critics and opposition figures, however, argue the cases are part of a wider campaign targeting opponents of President Kais Saied’s exceptional measures introduced in July 2021.

Saied maintains that those steps were taken to protect the state and restore order, rejecting accusations of rolling back democratic freedoms.