Hunger strikes by prisoners continue in Egypt
A number of political activists in Egyptian prisons have been on a hunger strike for several days to protest their denial of basic rights, at a time the president has called for a national dialogue with opponents.
CAIRO — A number of political activists and dissidents detained in Egyptian prisons have been on a hunger strike for several days now in protest against their ongoing unlawful detention for long and illegal periods. They are also protesting the denial of their basic rights in prisons, including regular visits, exercise time outside their cells and access to books, their families and lawyers told Al-Monitor.
In February, 12 detainees in Egyptian jails began a hunger strike in protest against their pre-trial detention that exceeded the legal limit of two years as stipulated by law. These include political activist Abdel Rahman Tarek; Galal al-Behairy, a poet who has been in pre-trial detention for three years; and political activist Ahmed Maher, who headed the media office of Gen. Sami Anan, Egypt's former military chief of staff and presidential candidate in 2018.
