After 7 months – Egyptian activist no longer on hunger strike

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Jailed Egyptian government critic Alaa Abd el-Fattah has ended his month-long hunger strike, according to his family. His sister Mona Seif reported on Tuesday that her brother had written a letter announcing the end of his hunger protest. The 40-year-old blogger and democracy activist started drinking liquids seven months ago and also stopped drinking fluids at the start of the world climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Nov. 6.

“I called off my strike. I will explain everything on Thursday,” Abd el-Fattah wrote in a letter to his sister Sanaa Seif, who tweeted it on Tuesday. The letter is from Monday. He said he hopes to see his family later in the week. “The most important thing is that I want to celebrate my birthday with you on Thursday … so bring cake, normal fare.”

“I haven’t celebrated for a long time and I want to celebrate with my cellmates,” Abdel Fattah wrote. The activist turns 41 this Friday. “Don’t worry, I’m fine,” he appealed to his mother.

Central figure of the “Arab Spring”
Abd el-Fattah became a leading figure in Egypt’s “Arab Spring” in 2011, which led to the overthrow of ancient ruler Hosni Mubarak. It is also a symbol of the repression that followed. He has been behind bars several times in recent years. He has been in prison since 2019. Abdel Fattah is said to have spread “false information” – a common accusation against government critics in Egypt. In December 2021, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

Temporarily stopped drinking water
Since April 2, Abd el-Fattah has been on hunger strike to protest his detention and the conditions in which he is being held. He also recently took up British citizenship to bring more international attention to his cause. At the start of the world climate conference on November 6 in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, he announced that he would also stop drinking water. On Monday, his sister said he had sent a message to the family to say he had been drinking water again.

Abd el-Fattah’s hunger strike was raised at the climate conference by several leaders, including US President Joe Biden. The White House said it was “deeply concerned” about the activist’s health. Solidarity rallies also took place on the sidelines of COP27.

Source: Krone

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