Footage denying Alaa Abdel Fatah's hunger strike claims submitted to Egyptian Public Prosecution: sources to ET

CAIRO – 9 June 2022: Sources told Egypt Today that the Ministry of Interior gave the Public Prosecution footage of the cell of imprisoned activist Alaa Abdel Fatah, showing that he is neither on a hunger strike nor not banned of books.

Egyptian Interior Ministry approved in May a request to move imprisoned activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to a correctional center.

In a statement, the ministry said it approved the request of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) to move Abdel Fattah to Wadi Al-Natroun Correctional and Rehabilitation Center.

A security source asserted earlier this week that blogger and activist Abd El Fattah is not on a hunger strike and receives all his meals in prison.

The source added that the inmate, who is an Egyptian-UK citizen, also gets food from the center's canteen.

However, Alaa's family said he entered his sixth week of hunger strike inside Torah prison, southern Cairo.

On December 20, 2021, an emergency court of the Egyptian State Supreme Security sentenced Abd El Fattah to five years in prison for charges of “publishing false news and disinformation, with the intent of disturbing public peace and stability.”

Abd El Fattah was arrested in September 2019. He was placed on the terror list along with other defendants.

The NCHR requested earlier the interior ministry to move Abdel Fattah to the correctional center, which includes advanced health capabilities and special care.

The NCHR's request came shortly after it said that it received a petition from Egyptian mothers voicing concerns about Alaa's health conditions as he has been on a hunger strike for over 40 days.

The NCHR affirmed respecting the rulings of the judiciary and called on Abdel Fattah also to stop his hunger strike.