- David Gritten
- BBC
The family of Alaa Abdel-Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist imprisoned in Egypt, said they had received proof that their son was still alive, following he went on hunger strike.
According to a letter from him, written two days ago, he “drinks water” and “receives health care.”
His family has not communicated with him since he began a water strike on the sixth of November, coinciding with the launch of the “COP 27” climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Last Thursday, his mother said that officials in Wadi al-Natrun prison, northeast of Cairo, told her that her son had undergone a “medical intervention with the knowledge of the judicial authorities.”
Prison authorities also barred his lawyer on Thursday and once more on Sunday, despite permits granted by the Public Prosecutor.
Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution said that a medical report showed that Abdel Fattah was in “good health”, without providing any evidence.
The 40-year-old activist, who is imprisoned for “spreading false news”, has become a symbol for the many political prisoners that human rights groups believe are languishing in Egyptian prisons. Egypt insists that none of them exist.
The short message Abdel-Fattah wrote to his mother, Laila Soueif, is dated 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday.
“How are you, Mama? I’m sure you are very worried regarding me. From today I drink water once more so you can stop worrying until you show me yourself. Today’s vital signs are fine,” the message says.
Abdel-Fattah promises to write a longer letter later, and asks his mother to bring his MP3 player, vitamins and effervescent salts to the prison.
image copyright EPA
Sanaa, Alaa Abdel-Fattah’s sister, asked why the letter had been kept for two days
Sana, Alaa’s sister, who is in Sharm El-Sheikh to press for his release, said: “Today is the first day that I have been able to breathe normally in eight days.”
And she added, “Now that we know that he is alive. I recognized his handwriting in any case, but following I read the letter over and over once more, this prompts me to ask more than one question. Why do they refuse to meet him with a lawyer despite having permission to do so.”
She continued, “Why did they keep his speech with them for two days? It’s brutal to punish a family for speaking up.”
Sana indicated that her brother is still on hunger strike, and he is still forbidden to meet him with the British consulate officials, and he is still arbitrarily detained without a light at the end of the tunnel.
She also said, “Even with all the global attention on Alaa’s case, the Egyptian authorities are still insisting on his disappearance. Alaa needs to be put on a plane to London, and only then will we allow ourselves to feel real relief.”
Abdel-Fattah obtained British citizenship last year because his mother was born in London. Alaa began a partial hunger strike seven months ago, in order to pressure the authorities to allow, at least, British diplomats to visit him.
He wrote in a letter on October 31 that he would only drink water until COP27 starts and then stop.
As concerns mount regarding Abdel-Fattah’s health, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he had called for his urgent release in a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in Sharm El-Sheikh last Monday.
US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Schultz and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also urged Egypt to release Abdel Fattah.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told the Radio Times on Monday morning that he was “watching this issue very closely”.
“What we will do is we will continue to work to secure his contact with the consulate because he has a British nationality and this is what we expect and we will continue to press for a solution on this very long and difficult issue,” he said.