Tunisian activists discovered a severely malnourished man, who, for 15 years, was kept against his will inside a remote cave in the Medenine Governorate in Tunisia.

Mohammad Kharshoufi was found by accident on Thursday while the activists were on a routine tour of the rural area, reported the Huffington Post.

Head of the charity who found the abandoned man told Tunisian radio station Mosaique FM that he weighed between 8-12 kg, adding that he was unable to either speak or walk.

Kharshoufi, 54, was left in the cave by his elder sister after their parents died. She has two disabled children and claimed she was unable to bear the financial burden of her brother on her own.

The sister took advantage of the government benefits to which her brother is entitled to support her children.

The cave is said to be located near her home, however, she rarely visited him.

When the activists insisted on taking the man to the hospital, his sibling vehemently refused to have him moved, according to local Tunisian media.

Social media users circulated pictures of the man in hopes of getting the attention of Tunisian authorities.

Eventually, the authorities took him to the hospital, where his health condition is being closely monitored.