| After eight days of hunger striking to demand the implementation of the Isolation Law, Egyptian activists end their strike |
| By Hana Zuhair |
| Yesterday, activists’ hunger strike protesting the failure to implement the disenfranchisement law number 131 has come to an end to prepare for another sit-in at the Constitutional Court. As a former regime’s figure, the law bans Ahmed Shafik, long time Civil Aviation Minister under Mubarak, from running for presidency. According to reports, around 60 activists, including Nawara Negm and Asmaa Mahfouz, announced on June 6 an open hunger strike and sit in at the People’s Assembly until their demands are met. People from several governorates joined the strike, according to the hunger strike’s official statement. Yesterday, however, the activists participating in the sit-in released a statement ending their strike, which lasted for eight days. They have decided to end the strike to prepare for another sit-in at the Constitutional Court. Renowned activist Negm tweeted earlier yesterday, “We have ended our hunger strike and we will at the Supreme Constitutional Court tomorrow at 10am. People in different governorates, end your fast.” “We only went on hunger strike and started a sit-in at the People’s Assembly building to demand the unity of the nation to stand against the reformation of the old regime and its vengeance,” the strike’s official statement said. The statement added that presidential candidate for the run-off Mohamed Morsi and former presidential candidates Abdel Moneim Abolfotoh and Hamdeen Sabahi “have signed a paper that obligates them to work on gathering the masses against Shafik’s candidacy.” The statement added that, so far, the candidates haven’t done anything significant to honor their promise. The strikers also criticized Saad El Katatny, the speaker of the People’s Assembly, for ignoring their demands, especially that they were scheduled to meet him but El Katatny left early. Hunger for justice Hunger strikes seem to have become the new peaceful method to pressure governments for demands in the region. Inspired by Palestinian political prisoners, a minimum of 500 Egyptians went on a one-day hunger strike in solidarity with activists and protesters held in military prisons — particularly the 300 protesters that were detained after participating in a protest at the Ministry of Defense in early May. Worrying about the health of strikers, the team of volunteers supporting hunger strikers in prisons vowed to continue their support for the prisoners, according to the official twitter handle @EgyParlHunger. A hunger strike can have serious consequences on the health of the strikers, even if the military junta doesn’t give much attention to it. One of the strikers at the parliament sit-in lost consciousness on Monday and was immediately aided by a volunteer doctor before they decided to break their fast today. Away from the People’s Assembly, and inside prisons, the state of hunger strikers is worrisome. Members of the group “Tahrir Doctors” are warning that the prisoners’ health is deteriorating at a fast pace, according to ¬Al-Ahram, especially as some of the prisoners decided to give up water last Tuesday. |
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