Detained Tunisian flotilla activists: Worsening health amid family anguish

Families of four activists detained in connection with an investigation into funds raised for the Global Sumud Flotilla say the mens health has worsened and describe the emotional toll of prolonged separation. Relatives speaking outside the Tunis Court of Appeal recounted visible frailty in the detainees, with one father describing his sons dizziness, vomiting, and difficulty controlling a leg after a prolonged hunger strike. The same family members related the impact on children left at home, including disrupted sleep, declining school performance and traumatic episodes during prison visits. The four men  Wael Naouar, Ghassan Henchiri, Ghassan Boughdiri and Nabil Channoufi  have been held since March while Tunisias Economic and Financial Judicial Pole examines alleged irregularities in the collection and use of flotilla funds. State news agency TAP, citing judicial sources, said investigators are determining the origin and destination of donations and whether any sums were diverted. The activists and their defense teams deny wrongdoing; none has been convicted. Defense lawyers argued that the extension of pretrial detention was unjustified and criticized the pace of investigative work, with one committee member calling the latest prolongation an "exception to the exception." The Court of Appeal rejected the defence challenge on Wednesday, keeping the four in custody for another four months as the probe continues. Authorities characterize the case as a financial investigation rather than a crackdown on political or pro-Palestinian activity and have insisted the judiciary acts independently. The dispute has triggered broader unrest: at least 14 people arrested after a September 19 protest demanding the activists release were placed in pretrial detention, according to a lawyer. Charges against those arrested include participation in a gathering allegedly intended to disturb public order and accusations of harming the reputation of officials, among other provisions of Tunisia's Penal Code. Rights advocates and family members have emphasized the human cost of prolonged detention, citing hunger strikes, declining health and stress on children and relatives left outside the prison system.