Tunis Court Upholds Detention of Four Flotilla-Linked Activists

The Tunis Court of Appeal has rejected a defence challenge to a four-month extension of pretrial detention for four activists linked to the Global Sumud Flotilla.

The ruling, issued on Wednesday, leaves Wael Naouar, Ghassan Henchiri, Ghassan Boughdiri and Nabil Channoufi in custody while an investigation continues. The extension was ordered on September 11 by Tunisia’s Economic and Financial Judicial Pole, a body that handles financial and economic crime cases.

The investigation concerns alleged financial irregularities connected to fundraising for the flotilla, an international campaign seeking to deliver aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory. Judicial sources cited by the state-owned TAP news agency said investigators were examining the origin and use of the funds and whether any had been diverted for other purposes.

The activists and their defence team have denied wrongdoing and maintained their innocence. None of the four has been convicted.

Health concerns

Wael Naouar began a hunger strike on August 16 and was transferred to hospital after his condition deteriorated. He suspended the strike after 38 days following appeals from lawyers and supporters, while making clear that he had not abandoned his demands.

His father, Hichem Naouar, said after a recent prison visit that Wael was struggling to see clearly, keep water down without vomiting and control his left leg. The reported condition has not been independently verified.

Ghassan Henchiri, Ghassan Boughdiri and Nabil Channoufi remained on hunger strike after the appeal ruling. Henchiri’s father, Sebti Henchiri, said his son had been refusing food since September 9 and appeared visibly exhausted, although he remained conscious.

Sebti Henchiri also said his son had not been taken outside the prison for further medical examination of a head injury sustained during detention in Israel. He said the family had raised the issue with prison officials and the investigating judge. According to his account, authorities promised that Henchiri would receive necessary medical examinations.

“The fatigue is visible. He is exhausted, but he is still conscious,” Sebti Henchiri said, relaying what his daughter observed during a visit. He also conveyed his son’s statement: “I will remain steadfast, I will not give up my right and these malicious accusations are false.”

Families describe emotional impact

The detentions have also affected the activists’ relatives. Wael Naouar’s nine-year-old son, Yassar, rejected the suggestion that his father could be a thief, answering, “Never.” His four-year-old daughter, Sumud, responded “Palestine. Prison” when asked where her father was.

Hichem Naouar defended his son’s record, saying Wael’s strength came from his ideas and commitment to his people. He said Wael had regularly stood up for workers and employees facing injustice.

Human Rights Watch has expressed concern about the use of financial and money-laundering investigations against civil society actors in Tunisia. Defence committee member Ghassan Ghribi described the latest extension as an “exception to the exception” and argued that freedom should be the rule while detention remains an exception.

Ghribi also said the investigating judge had spent six months on the case without carrying out investigative work other than questioning the activists. Tunisian authorities have presented the proceedings as a financial investigation and rejected accusations that the judiciary is being used to silence political or pro-Palestinian activity.

Further detentions after protest

Lawyer Rafed Rabbeh said 14 people detained after a September 19 protest calling for the activists’ release were also placed in pretrial detention. One of those detainees was 17 and was brought before a juvenile judge.

The defence maintains that the four activists should not remain imprisoned while the investigation proceeds. The latest appeal ruling means they will remain in pretrial detention for another four months.