Jailed Egypt songwriter on hunger strike refuses water

Posted On 2 June 2023

Number of times this article was read : 798

Dissident Egyptian songwriter and poet Galal al-Behairy, who has been on hunger strike for three months in protest at his prison conditions, stopped taking water Thursday, a rights group said. Behairy, who began his hunger strike in March after five years in custody, has been refused pen and paper, subjected to round-the-clock cell lighting and had visitation rights slashed to just 20 minutes a month, the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedom said. It called for his immediate release.

In a letter smuggled out of Badr prison, where he is awaiting trial, Behairy vowed: “I will continue this strike until I regain my freedom, alive or not,” the rights group said. Behairy was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for “insulting the military establishment” after publishing a collection of satirical poetry and writing song lyrics critical of the government. In 2021, when he was scheduled for release, the public prosecution levelled new charges against him of “joining a terrorist group and spreading false news” — charges often levelled against dissidents in Egypt.

Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised what they call a “revolving door” justice system in Egypt, in which prisoners are frequently kept in jail to face new charges instead of being released. They say around 60,000 political prisoners are languishing in Egyptian jails, many facing brutal conditions in overcrowded cells. There have been a number of hunger strikes in recent years, including one by jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah which made international headlines during the COP27 climate summit in Egypt last year. Abdel Fattah eventually gave up his protest in November after seven months of eating no more than 100 calories a day, his family said.

The government announced a new “national human rights strategy” in late 2021, launching a “national dialogue” and releasing hundreds of hundreds of detainees. But although around 1,000 prisoners have been freed over the past year, almost three times that number have been newly arrested, according to Egyptian rights groups.

AFP
Other Articles in this Week's Issue<< Bourkina Faso: 50 insurgents killed in Loroum as they tried to ambush food convoyNigeria: New president starts job on shaky ground after nearly tripling fuel prices >>
The North Africa Journal's WhatsApp Group
.

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Book: Lafarge Group and the Islamic State

Book: Lafarge Group and the Islamic State

Lafarge’s indictment for financing terrorism reveals corporate entanglements with ISIS to maintain operations in Syria. In Personne morale, Justine Augier exposes how multinationals like Lafarge navigate ethics and profit in conflict zones, raising questions on global accountability.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This