Jailed Tunisian opposition leader starts hunger strike

The jailed head of Tunisia’s Islamic opposition Ennahda party, Rached Ghannouchi, has joined a hunger strike by other political detainees to mark a year since their detention began.

Mr Ghannouchi, who has accused Tunisia’s President Kaïs Saïed of mounting a coup – was given a three-year prison sentence earlier this month after being convicted for accepting external financing.

President Saïed has closed the Ennahda party’s headquarters, jailed many leading political opponents and critical journalists, and reduced the independence of the country’s courts.

He claims the measures were necessary to prevent chaos and root out corruption.