Alaa Abdel Fattah escalates his hunger strike

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On Sunday, the family of political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah said he had escalated his hunger strike, which is approaching its sixth month. Abdel Fattah called on the government to release all National Security detainees, detainees who have passed their pretrial detention period, and those sentenced to prison terms in publication cases. Abdel Fattah had started a full hunger strike in April and then, in May, told his family that he had turned his strike into a partial one.

Abdel Fattah’s mother, Laila Soueif, said that her son thought his situation would improve in Wadi El-Natrun prison and expected to be granted his rights. Still, the prison administration continues to obstruct all of this. Abdel Fattah’s psychological condition continues to deteriorate, according to Soueif. She said that Abdel Fattah is wholly convinced that he will die in prison, adding that she sent a letter to the National Council for Human Rights requesting that Abdel Fattah’s health be taken care of.