Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi - An 85-year-old scholar is in grave danger in a Tunisian prison

Dear Friend,

As we speak, Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi, the 85-year-old former Speaker of Tunisia's freely elected parliament, and one of the leading thinkers of democracy in the Muslim world, is in grave danger.

Amnesty International's September 10 report has documented 12 politically motivated criminal cases against him, cumulative sentences of 107 years, and a life sentence. He has Parkinson's disease, has lost consciousness in custody, and has been hospitalized repeatedly, with his family and lawyers barred from seeing him.

More than 500 scholars, human rights leaders, and former heads of state and government from over 45 countries have already signed our appeal for his release. Now we need your help to turn that support into pressure. Please do at least one of the following:

1. Publish a post on your social media accounts demanding his immediate and unconditional release, and share it with all your friends and colleagues.
2. Contact your Senators and Representative. Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or use the contact form on their official websites. Ask them to publicly demand Sheikh Rached's immediate and unconditional release, citing Amnesty International's report, and to press the Tunisian authorities. This will take only a few minutes of your time and can move a congressional office.
3. Donate to fund our fact-finding mission to Tunisia. We are hoping to send a delegation of U.S. lawyers and human rights leaders to seek meetings with Sheikh Rached, his lawyers and family, and Tunisian political and civil society leaders. Their published report will go to policymakers in Washington, Europe, and beyond, and will shed light on this injustice. We need to raise at least $40,000, so please give whatever you can at freerachedghannouchi.us (click Donate Now).

If you have not yet signed the petition, you can add your name at https://freerachedghannouchi.us/.

Sheikh Rached does not have unlimited time. Thank you for standing with him.

With gratitude,

Radwan A. Masmoudi, Ph.D.

President, Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID)

radwanmasmoudi@gmail.com | +1-202-304-2940

Read Amnesty's Report here.

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About the Campaign:



Free Rached Ghannouchi is an international, non-partisan campaign of scholars, faith leaders, former officials, and civil society organizations. Learn more at freerachedghannouchi.us.

LINK to the press release