Tunisia Airport / Credit: Skytrax

A former Tunisian minister has for the last eight days staged a protest at the country’s main airport, Tunis cartage airport, after he was stopped from leaving the country.

Human rights activists have expressed concerns over his condition after he was pictured sleeping on a bench.

Nouredine Mkhademi was about to take a flight to Qatar last week when he was stopped by the police.

The former religious affairs minister is an opponent of President Kais Saied.

He explained in a video shared on social media that he was not given a reason for stopping him from boarding a plane and was “not aware of any court case against him or any legal reason”.

The interior ministry wrote on Facebook that the former minister was banned from travelling due to a court order.

However, lawyers defending him say their client never received any warrant informing him of the ban.

Mr Mkhademi has been visited by politicians, academics and human rights activists who raised concerns about his and his family’s health.

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