Rabat- Tunisian Member of Parliament, Yassine Ayari, launched a hunger strike on September 7 in Mornaguia Prison where he is serving a two-month sentence for criticizing the Tunisian president, according to his party, the Amal Movement.
The Amal Movement has confirmed on social platforms that Ayari had started his strike due to the oppression he had endured after the comments made on social media in which he criticized President Kais Saied.
Ayari was arrested on July 30 following the accusation of President Saied for accumulating unconstitutional powers. Saied cited Article 80 of the constitution to dismiss Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi, “freeze the work of parliament for 30 days, lift the immunity of ministers, and appoint himself as head of the executive authority until the formation of a new government.”
Ayari had characterized the ongoing events in his country as a “coup against the constitution.”
“[Saied] made a constitution by himself and he is enforcing it with guns,” he has written on his social platform a few days prior to his arrest.
A military court in Tunisia later sentenced Ayari to two months in prison.
The Amal Movement stated that Ayari is going on a hunger strike because he had depleted all possible means to “cry foul.”
Ayari explained that he is completely against what happened and that it is a “serious violation of the freedom of expression;” he also criticized “the involvement of military courts to stifle the voice of civilians.”
He also explained that his hunger strike was motivated by the unjustified rejection of a parole request though all conditions were met.
Ayari and other detainees are not vaccinated against the virus despite the promise of the Tunisian authorities, said the Amal Movement. Poor prison conditions can lead to the further spread of the virus.
“Ayari also calls to immediately drop all charges against him and believes there is a clear intention to prolong his imprisonment indefinitely,” the movement said.
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