Dozens of protesters marched through central Tunis on Saturday, demanding the release of four detained Global Sumud Flotilla activists.
The demonstration began outside the Tunisian National Journalists’ Union and continued to Avenue Habib Bourguiba.
Protesters carried Tunisian and Palestinian flags and portraits of the four detainees. They also called for the case against them to be dropped. The activists Wael Naouar, Ghassen Henchiri, Ghassen Boughdiri and Nabil Channoufi have been detained since March.
A Tunisian court recently extended their pre-trial detention by another four months. They are being investigated over alleged financial irregularities linked to fundraising for the flotilla, according to Tunisian state media citing judicial sources.
The four activists and their defence team deny wrongdoing.
Health concerns have intensified because of hunger strikes by the detainees. Naouar began an open-ended hunger strike on August 16. The other three joined him on September 9, according to supporters.
Supporters say Naouar has experienced fainting, breathing difficulties and hallucinations and has lost more than 20kg.
Another former student union leader, Nidhal Khadraoui, said Henchiri urgently needs surgery following complications from an injury sustained during detention in Israel. Rights groups have raised wider concerns about Tunisia’s shrinking space for civil society and political dissent.
Human Rights Watch has criticised the use of financial and anti-money-laundering laws against activists. The government rejects accusations that the judiciary is being used to silence opponents and says judicial proceedings follow the law.
