Hunger Strike Activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah's Life at Risk Amid Egyptian Captivity, UN Rights Chief Says

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that hunger strike activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah's life is at risk amid Egyptian captivity, calling on the Egyptian government for the imprisoned man's immediate release.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Turk said, "I urge the Egyptian government to immediately release Abd el-Fattah from prison and provide him with the necessary medical treatment." The official warned that the activist's life was in "great danger."

Hunger Strike Activist's Life at Risk

The prominent activist and blogger is a dual British and Egyptian citizen and was previously jailed in 2014 for five years on charges of participating in an unauthorized gathering. Later, he was re-arrested in 2019 and was sentenced in December 2021 to another five years on charges of spreading false news.

The 40-year-old Abd el-Fattah has been on a hunger strike for the past 220 days against his detention and prison conditions. The activist previously informed his family that he would stop drinking water on Sunday in an escalation of his protest, as per Aljazeera.

The activist's mother said that she did not receive the letter that she usually does from her son when she visited on Monday. Abd el-Fattah's health would rapidly deteriorate if he does not consume water.

The escalation of his protest has also coincided with the COP27 climate summit, which is the United Nations' yearly gathering of world leaders in order to discuss global warming. The event is set to be scheduled in Egypt this year.

According to BBC, Abd el-Fattah's sister, Sanaa Seif, said that all that her family knows is that her brother stopped drinking water roughly 50 hours prior to her statement. She added that they did not know where he was or if he was still alive.

Unacceptable Living Conditions

Seif said that her mother waited outside of the prison gates for about 10 hours the day before in anticipation of her weekly letter. She added that she had already asked British authorities to show them proof that her brother was still alive and conscious but noted that she did not get any response.

Abd el-Fattah's sister added that she had become extremely anxious after recent remarks made by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who is chairing the COP27 Summit, and President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

On Monday, Shoukry said that prison authorities were giving the imprisoned activist the "healthcare and care that is available to all inmates." On the other hand, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Sisi assured him that Egypt was "committed to ensuring that [the] health of Alaa Abdel Fattah is preserved."

Seif also questioned the possibility that Egyptian authorities were force-feeding her brother and if he was handcuffed in a bed and placed on IVs against his will. She said that those were what the situation seemed like to her.

The political tensions in Britain have not helped Abd el-Fattah's situation as Rishi Sunak, the new British prime minister, wrote a letter to Seif on Saturday. He said that he would continue to emphasize to Sisi the importance of having a swift resolution to the hunger activist's case and put an end to his unacceptable treatment, the New York Times reported.