Mondher Ounissi, a Tunisian politician and doctor, has been the Vice President of the Ennahda movement since 2021.

Mondher Ounissi was arrested in September 2023, when the public prosecution of the Court of First Instance in Tunis allowed, on Wednesday, 6 September 2023, to be taken into custody, with a later decision to refer him to the Judicial Pole for Counter-Terrorism.

His lawyer mentioned that this is related to his first case, known as “the audio leaks”; he was also charged in connection with the death of “Jilani Dabousssi”, a former member of parliament.

Another detention order was issued against him, as the indictment chamber at the Tunis Court of Appeal decided to refer the case to the Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Tunis, which, in turn, issued an order to put him in prison and charge him with murder.

Although Ounissi is imprisoned, he still retains the right to proper treatment and respect for his human dignity, and protection against its violation. However, on September 9, 2025, his wife reported that he was subjected to grave physical assault inside prison by the officer working at the prison infirmary who punched and kicked him, because he objected to being forced to board the prisoners’ vehicle, long criticized for its cramped and degrading conditions and seen by political detainees as a tool of mistreatment.

The wife of the victim of the violation also stated that he was physically assaulted across his body, including blows to his stomach, despite suffering from a chronic kidney disease. This assault was accompanied by verbal abuse that insulted both his dignity and that of his mother. He was eventually inspected by the prison doctor, and apparent bruises were observed; however, a medical certificate confirmed that these injuries were denied. At the same time, the Ennahda movement issued a statement that the General Inspectorate of Prisons visited the victim that same day, stating that the visit was an attempt to minimize the seriousness of the incident and present it as an isolated case.

In addition to the incident and the violations Mondher Ounissi was subjected to, he’s also been enduring neglect regarding his health in prison. In fact, his lawyer revealed this information after visiting him in May 2025. He also stated that his condition requires kidney monitoring every 15 days, yet he has gone over a month without tests.

He also noted that Mondher Ounissi, being a doctor specializing in kidney diseases, is fully aware of his critical condition. The lawyer also relayed the victims of violation’s statement that he does not want to leave prison with damaged kidneys, questioning the medical neglect that political detainees face.