Six months ago, Alaa Abd El-Fattah began a hunger strike against his detention and prison conditions, consuming only 100 calories per day. To coincide with the opening of the COP27 climate change summit, he intensified his hunger strike and ceased drinking water last week.
The family of a British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist who went on a hunger strike in an Egyptian prison has been informed that he is still alive.
Six months ago, Alaa Abd El-Fattah began a hunger strike over his incarceration and jail conditions, consuming only 100 calories each day.
To coincide with the start of the COP27 climate change summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, he intensified his hunger strike and stopped drinking water last week.
“I’m so relieved. We just received a note from prison to my mother stating that Alaa is alive and has resumed drinking water as of November 12 “Sanaa Seif, the sister of Mr. Abd El-Fattah, tweeted.
“He promises to elaborate as soon as possible. It is his handwriting. Finally, proof of life! Why did they withhold this information for two days?”
The 40-year-family old’s and attorney had made multiple journeys to the prison where he is being held north of Cairo but had gotten no news regarding his health.
At the United Nations climate talks, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised Mr. Abd El-plight Fattah’s with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The government is keeping a “very, very close eye” on his case, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told.
“The Foreign Office has been advocating on his behalf for several years. Egyptians do not acknowledge his British citizenship “he said.
“We have expressed our unhappiness with them at every level, including the prime minister in his conversations with President Sisi,” the statement reads.
“Medical intervention” days after the hunger strike escalated
The public prosecutor of Egypt stated on Thursday that Mr. Abd El-Fattah was in good health after the family reported receiving word that a medical operation had been performed.
The nature of the intervention was not specified, but the activist’s relatives feared that jail officials would force-feed him, which they deemed torture.
An Egyptian lawmaker was removed from a news conference regarding Mr. Abd El-Fattah last week after he questioned whether Mr. Abd El-Fattah was a political prisoner and shouted at Mr. Abd El-sister. Fattah’s
Celebrities advocate for activist causes
In December of the previous year, Mr. Abd El-Fattah was sentenced to five years in prison after being accused of spreading false news over a Facebook post he made on human rights violations in Egyptian prisons in 2019.
Before COP27, the activist’s family intensified their campaign for his release and organized a sit-in in front of the British Foreign Office.
Celebrities such as Dame Judi Dench, Dame Emma Thompson, Mark Ruffalo, Carey Mulligan, and Khalid Abdalla have shown their support for him.
Greta Thunberg, a climate activist, declined to attend COP27 because she disapproved of the country’s human rights violations and was spotted at a rally in support of Mr. Abd El-Fattah.
