The Ghannouchi Hunger Strike: A Desperate Attempt to Salvage What Remains of Tunisia’s Muslim Brotherhood

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In a desperate move to gain attention, Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia’s Muslim Brotherhood movement, has launched a hunger strike from his prison cell, claiming solidarity with Gaza.

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Observers see this action as a calculated effort to bring his name back into the spotlight after his former allies abandoned him amid a growing wave of accountability targeting the Islamist movement.

From Mornaguia prison, west of the capital Tunis, Ghannouchi announced the start of his hunger strike, according to a statement released by his party, Ennahdha.

His legal defense team confirmed that the former Speaker of Parliament is staging a symbolic open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

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However, political analysts argue that this move is purely theatrical, especially given that Ghannouchi is currently serving time for charges related to terrorism and conspiracy against state security.

Tunisian political analyst Mongi Essarrafi said that the hunger strike sends a coded message to Ghannouchi’s followers: he is still present and politically capable.

Essarrafi noted that Ghannouchi is attempting to refute widespread claims that his political era is over. This hunger strike, he argues, is an emotional plea to rally support, using the Palestinian issue as an emotional gateway to regain sympathy.

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He also pointed out that Ghannouchi has lost nearly all popular backing—both locally and internationally. The Ennahdha movement itself is fractured, with only a handful of leaders remaining, such as Riadh Chaïbi, Imed Khemiri, and Belkacem Hassan.

Political analyst Nabil Gouari added that the hunger strike is little more than a publicity stunt, a desperate gesture to draw attention after widespread desertion by supporters and allies.

Speaking to Al-Ain, Gouari said Ghannouchi is trying to shift his personal crisis into the public sphere, particularly as the legal process against him and other Brotherhood leaders continues to intensify.

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With no international intervention in sight and facing increasing marginalization in prison, the hunger strike has become his only remaining tool for public engagement, Gouari explained.

He added that a significant faction within Ennahdha is now seeking to align with the current government. For them, Ghannouchi’s continued imprisonment is an opportunity to replace him with a new leader, especially after repeated failures to elect a fresh leadership due to his and his family’s tight grip on the party.

Rached Ghannouchi has received multiple sentences, including 22 years for espionage, 5 years for illegal foreign funding, and 14 years for conspiracy against state security.

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