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Lawyer of Egypt hunger-striker denied access for 2nd time

Alaa Abdel Fattah, a major figure in the 2011 revolt that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak, is currently serving a five-year sentence for "broadcasting false news", having already spent much of the past decade behind bars
— Cairo (AFP)

The lawyer for Egypt's jailed hunger-striker Alaa Abdel Fattah said Sunday he had been denied access to his client for a second time in days, as fears for the activist's health mount.

Seven months into a hunger strike, Abdel Fattah began refusing water on November 6 as world leaders arrived in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the COP27 climate summit.

A key figure in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak, he is serving a five-year prison sentence for "spreading false news" by sharing a Facebook post about police brutality.

His family say they fear for his life, and have made months-long appeals to the international community, particularly Britain, where Abdel Fattah gained citizenship this year from behind bars through his British-born mother.

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