The regime critic has for more than 200 days eaten only the amount of food equivalent to 100 calories a day in an attempt to pressure the authorities to allow British diplomats to visit him in prison. Since the COP27 climate meeting opened on Sunday, he has also stopped drinking water and concerns about his health have grown.
On Thursday, the prosecutor claimed that Abdel Fattah “is in good health and does not need to be taken to hospital”, a statement the activist’s sister Mona Seif dismissed as a lie. She is also the one who came out with the desire for a pardon.
Alaa Abdel Fattah was a leading figure in the 2011 revolt against Hosni Mubarak and is serving a five-year prison sentence for spreading “fake news” after sharing a Facebook post about police brutality.