TUNIS — The human toll on the families of four Tunisian activists detained in connection with the Global Sumud Flotilla is mounting as reports of declining health and psychological distress emerge from behind bars.
For nine-year-old Yassar Naouar, prison visits have become an exercise in emotional restraint. He strives to remain composed in front of his father, Wael Naouar, to avoid adding to the actor’s pain, only allowing himself to cry in private afterward. According to his grandfather, Hichem Naouar, Yassar has suffered night terrors and a decline in academic performance since his father’s arrest in March.
The impact is also felt by Yassar’s four-year-old sister, Sumud. Hichem recounted that during a recent visit, the toddler leaned forward to hug her father through the glass barrier, striking her head in the process. When asked where her father is, Sumud replies, “Palestine. Prison.”
Wael Naouar, 41, initiated a hunger strike on August 16 to protest his continued detention. After 38 days, he suspended the fast following appeals from legal representatives, though he maintained that his political demands remained unmet. He was subsequently transferred to a hospital due to deteriorating health. During a recent visit, Hichem observed his son struggling to see clearly, keeping water down without vomiting, and experiencing dizziness and issues controlling his left leg. Wael reportedly told his father that other inmates have noticed him calling out for his youngest daughter during the night.
Hichem Naouar described Wael as a man defined by his commitment to justice, citing incidents where he intervened to protect others during previous Sumud convoy operations, including rescuing a woman who nearly drowned and shielding a fellow activist from kidnapping attempts in Libya.
The four men—Wael Naouar, Ghassan Henchiri, Ghassan Boughdiri, and Nabil Channoufi—have been held since March under investigation by Tunisia’s Economic and Financial Judicial Pole. Authorities state the probe concerns alleged financial irregularities in the fundraising for the flotilla, which aims to deliver aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade. The activists and their lawyers deny any wrongdoing, emphasizing that none have been convicted.
On September 11, a judge extended the quartet’s pretrial detention by four months. Lawyers challenged the decision at the Tunis Court of Appeal on Wednesday, arguing the extension lacked justification. Ghassan Ghribi, a member of the defense committee, criticized the investigating judge for spending six months without conducting substantial investigative work beyond questioning the suspects. The appeal was rejected, and the detention order stands.
While Wael Naouar ended his hunger strike, the other three activists continue their protest. Ghassan Henchiri has been on strike since September 9. His father, Sebti Henchiri, reported that Ghassan appears conscious but visibly exhausted. Concerns have also been raised regarding a head injury Henchiri sustained during his detention in Israel, which has not been medically examined despite promises from prison officials. Sebti added that his son, who lives with one kidney and suffers from back problems, was denied dermatological care for a severe rash because prison doctors deemed it non-serious.
The fallout from the case has expanded beyond the original four defendants. Lawyer Rafed Rabbeh confirmed that fourteen individuals detained after a protest on September 19 demanding the activists’ release have also been placed in pretrial detention. Among them is a 17-year-old subjected to juvenile proceedings, a move that contradicts Tunisia’s Child Protection Code, which prioritizes educational measures over detention for minors.
Charges against the additional detainees include participating in gatherings intended to disturb public order and making statements that damage the reputation of public officials. Human Rights Watch has expressed concern over the trend of using financial and money-laundering investigations to target civil society actors in Tunisia.
As the legal battles continue, the families remain in limbo. Yassar Naouar has told his grandfather he is ready to join the hunger strike, while Sebti Henchiri stood by his son’s integrity, describing him as a man raised on principles of freedom and dignity.
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