Tunis – Relatives of jailed Tunisian MP Yassine Ayari who is suffering from an ulcer voiced concern about his health on Saturday, four days after he began a hunger strike.
Since the end of July, the 40-year-old former blogger has been serving a two-month sentence handed down in late 2018 for comments he posted about the army on Facebook.
Four days ago, relatives said, the independent MP went on hunger strike in protest against military trials of civilians.
Ayari’s wife Cyrine Fitouri said her husband “suffers from an ulcer”, and expressed concern about his health.
“He is not well. He has stomach problems that will only worsen because of the hunger strike,” his sister Imen Ayari said.
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“No one has been able to visit him (in prison) and we are afraid that his health will deteriorate,” she added.
The two women took part on Saturday in a rally of support for Ayari that grouped around 40 people in Tunis.
Relatives and friends said Ayari was due to attend a hearing on Saturday at a military court.
“We demand his liberation… a civilian should only be tried by a civil court, not a military tribunal,” said Fakhreddine Belgaid, a member of Ayari’s Amal wa Aamal (Hope and Labour) party, told AFP.
Ayari was arrested at the end of July after branding President Kais Saied’s decision to suspend parliament and sack the prime minister and other top officials a “military coup”.
But Tunisia’s military court said he was arrested pursuant to a two-month prison sentence passed in late 2018 for criticising the army.
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Source: AFP
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