By Tarek Amara

TUNIS (Reuters) -Jailed Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, 84, began a hunger strike, joining two prominent politicians who are protesting what they call “unjust imprisonment,” lawyers said on Saturday, marking the latest escalation in a standoff with President Kais Saied.

Most of the country’s opposition leaders are in jail and some parties have accused Saied of turning Tunisia into an “open-air prison” while using the judiciary to cement his authoritarian rule.

Ghannouchi follows opposition politician Jawhar Ben Mbarek who has been on a “wildcat” hunger strike since last week. And Republican Party leader Issam Chebbi started a hunger strike on Friday, demanding his release.

Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahda party and a fierce critic of Saied, has been detained

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