Clock ticking for jailed Egypt activist on hunger strike
The family of one of Egypt’s top jailed pro-democracy activists warn that the clock is ticking on his life as they plead with world leaders at the U.N. climate conference to press Egypt for his release
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — The family of one of Egypt’s top jailed pro-democracy activists warn that the clock is ticking on his life as they plead with world leaders at the U.N. climate conference to press Egypt for his release.
Alaa Abdel-Fattah — who has spent most of the past decade in prison because of his criticism of its rulers and last year was sentenced to five more years over a retweet — escalated a months-long hunger strike. He completely halted all intake of calories, then stopped drinking water Sunday, the conference’s first day.
Sanaa Seif, his youngest sister, said Tuesday that the family fears the Egyptian government could resort to force feeding her brother to keep him alive to avoid the embarrassment of him dying while the country is under the international spotlight.
“Force feeding is torture. Nothing should happen against his will as long as he’s able to say to say so,” she told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference in the seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
