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Alaa Abdel Fattah: Jailed activist badly affected by hunger strike - family Alaa Abdel Fattah: Egypt prison broke activist's hunger strike - family
(about 6 hours later)
Alaa Abdel Fattah told his family in a letter that he had ended his hunger strike on MondayAlaa Abdel Fattah told his family in a letter that he had ended his hunger strike on Monday
Jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah's family say his health has "deteriorated severely", after they were allowed to visit him for the first time since he ended his hunger strike. The family of jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah says his hunger strike was broken for him last Friday by prison authorities in Egypt after he had a "near-death experience".
"We saw him. He was frail, vulnerable & emotional. All he needed was us around him," tweeted his sister, Sanaa Seif. Abdel Fattah told his mother, sister and aunt during a visit that he collapsed in his cell and awoke with an intravenous drip in his arm.
Egypt had denied them access after he stopped drinking water on 6 November. He had stopped drinking water to press Egypt to allow him access to British consular officials.
On Tuesday, the family received a note from him saying that he had broken the hunger strike the previous day. "My heart is wrung," his aunt said.
He did not give a reason his decision, but said he would explain everything during Thursday's visit to Wadi al-Natroun prison, north-west of Cairo. "He looks so frail, so thin and so weak. But I'm also tremendously encouraged and tremendously proud of him. Because he's still himself, the lucidity, the energy, the determination," Ahdaf Soueif, the Egyptian novelist, told the BBC.
Ms Seif said she and her mother, Laila Soueif, had been separated from him by a glass screen and been forced to talk through a telephone "with little space to understand or communicate". I can't post an old picture because he longer looks like that. I can't post a new picture because you can't take photos in prison. I wish I could draw. I'd catch a moment when the old smile shines through the gaunt face. No, even the smile is tired. I wish the world could see him
"We'll write a detailed statement when we arrive home," she added. Abdel Fattah, a 40-year-old blogger and pro-democracy activist, is the best known of Egypt's estimated 60,000 political prisoners.
Abdel Fattah's other sister Mona Seif, who is in the UK, described the news from the visit as "unsettling".
News from the visit are unsettling, @alaa deteriorated severely in the past 2 weeks, but atleast they got to see him, and he needed to see the family so muchThe family will share the full details later today, please bear with us #SaveAlaa #FreeAlaa
Abdel Fattah, 40-year-old blogger and pro-democracy activist, is the best known of Egypt's estimated 60,000 political prisoners.
He is currently serving a five-year sentence for allegedly "spreading false news" - a charge that human rights groups condemned as spurious.He is currently serving a five-year sentence for allegedly "spreading false news" - a charge that human rights groups condemned as spurious.
He began a partial hunger strike in April, consuming a maximum of 100 calories a day, to protest against his conditions and Egyptian authorities' refusal to allow British diplomats to consular access. He began a partial hunger strike in April, consuming a maximum of 100 calories a day, to protest against his conditions and Egypt's refusal to recognise his British citizenship and allow embassy officials to see him.
His family's last prison visit was on 24 October, a week before he decided to stop consuming food altogether. On 6 November, he also started refusing water to coincide with the start of the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, hoping to increase the pressure Egypt's leaders. His family's last visit was on 24 October, a week before he decided to stop consuming food altogether. On 6 November, he also started refusing water to coincide with the start of the COP27 climate conference in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, hoping to increase the pressure Egypt's leaders.
Last Thursday, his mother was told by prison officials that he had undergone an unspecified "medical intervention". Egypt's public prosecution meanwhile asserted that he was in "good health", without providing any proof. His mother Laila Soueif was told by prison officials last Thursday that he had undergone an unspecified "medical intervention" and the public prosecution asserted that he was in "good health", without providing any proof.
This week, Abdel Fattah's family received hand-written letters from him, dated Saturday and Monday, saying that he had first resumed drinking water and then ended his hunger strike. This week, his mother received notes from him, saying he had resumed drinking water on Saturday and ended his hunger strike on Monday. But she was not allowed to see him in person until now.
The British embassy has been unable to visit Abdel Fattah to check on his health because Egyptian authorities are continuing to refuse to recognise him as a British citizen - despite UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raising his case with President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi at COP27 last week. (July 2022) Alaa Abdel Fattah: 'He’s certain he’ll never come out of prison alive'
Following Thursday's news from Abdel Fattah's family, Freshta Sharif of Amnesty International UK said: "It's distressing to hear this and it's yet another reminder that UK ministers have got to start taking Alaa's fate much seriously than they've been doing up to now. (July 2022) Alaa Abdel Fattah: 'He’s certain he’ll never come out of prison alive'
"The government can and must secure Alaa's release and safe return to the UK, and it should conduct an urgent human rights impact assessment of its trade, security and other dealings with Egypt in light of the appalling mistreatment of Alaa and other human rights violations to ensure that no further harm is caused by existing UK-Egyptian agreements." "We saw him in the visitation booth of Wadi al-Natroun prison, with a glass barrier between us, with one very faint headset that we could talk to him through one at a time," the family said in a statement.
Earlier on Thursday, civil society representatives chanted "Free Alaa! Free them all!" at the closing of the COP27 People's Plenary in Sharm el-Sheikh. Abdul Fattah told his mother, aunt and sister that on 8 November he was tied down in his cell after refusing to submit to a medical examination and after hitting his head against a wall.
He told his family he was in the shower in his cell last Friday when he collapsed.
"He tried to dress, and fell over and this time he fell unconscious. When he came to, he was surrounded by people and his head was cradled by one of his cellmates and there was a canula in his body which gave him a lactate solution and glucose. Then they gave him electrolyte fluid, a spoonful of honey and a pickle."
"There were lots of people there and they needed to save his life. He talked about all of this as a near-death experience. This is how the hunger strike was broken."
There was no immediate response from the Egyptian government.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised his case with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi at COP27 last week.