21 Egypt inmates on hunger strike over ‘unfair’ trial

Twenty one Egyptians imprisoned for protesting the government’s surrender to Saudi Arabia of two Red Sea islands have gone on hunger strike over their “unfair” trial.

Heba Mohamed, the wife of Egyptian detainee Nagi Kamel, said on Sunday that ten detainees have been refusing to eat food since last week, and that another 11 joined the protest action on Saturday.

Misr Abdel-Wahed, a sister of one of the prisoners, said three of the hunger strikers were taken to hospital on Saturday as their health conditions deteriorated.

“They took extreme measures by going on hunger strike without the availability of proper health care,” lawyer Mokhtar Mounir said, adding that this was the only way they could express their opposition to the trials.

The Egyptian government has been under fire since it announced in a statement on April 9 that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir fell within the territorial waters of Saudi Arabia based on a maritime border agreement signed with Riyadh the previous day.

On April 15, thousands of people took part in mass demonstrations against the deal. Egyptian riot police forces arrested many protesters.