-
Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah launches hunger strike in prison
The France24 reported, Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, a key figure in the country’s 2011 revolution, began a hunger strike in prison over the weekend, his mother Laila Soueif said Monday (4 Apr).
Soueif told AFP: “He refuses to eat, because his prison conditions must change,” adding that her son has been placed under “heavy supervision, in solitary confinement”.
She continued: “He is not allowed books or exercise, and this prison is known for not respecting any laws."
The report said that Abdel Fattah was sentenced in December to five years in prison after he was convicted along with two others of “broadcasting false news”.
It mentioned that he had already been in pre-trial detention in Cairo’s Tora prison since September 2019 before the sentencing.
Today was @alaa's visit, he told me he is on hunger strike since 1st day of Ramadan, Saturday, and returned all food we brought him. Only took medication, tea and personal hygiene products
— Mona Seif (@Monasosh) April 4, 2022
I'll take a moment to process, then we'll share in more detail his updates#FreeAlaa
It added that Abdel Fattah’s sister, Mona Seif, announced the hunger strike in a Twitter post earlier on Monday.
She wrote: “Today was @alaa’s visit, he told me he is on hunger strike since 1st day of Ramadan, Saturday."
Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah sentenced to five years in prison
Seif added that he “returned all food we brought him. Only took medication, tea and personal hygiene products”.
Abdel Fattah has spent the better part of the past decade behind bars, having also been arrested under former presidents Hosni Mubarak and Mohammed Morsi.
His latest arrest came in September 2019 in the wake of rare protests called for by an exiled dissident businessman against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Egypt permits e-visa for tourists from over 180 countries to attract more visitors
It should be noted that rights groups say Egypt is holding some 60,000 political prisoners, many facing brutal conditions and overcrowded cells.
Source: france24
