El-Beltagy continues hunger strike in Egyptian prison

Former Egyptian MP Dr Mohamed El-Beltagy has confirmed that he is still on hunger strike in protest against his prison conditions.

In a leaked message from Badr 3 Prison, shared by his wife, Sanaa Abdel-Gawad, El-Beltagy said he remains confined to a closed cell and is only allowed out for hospital visits or in extreme cases.

The former MP, affiliated with the banned Muslim Brotherhood, said: “Death is easier than my current situation.”

He added that he joined other hunger strikers on 1 July, stating that after more than 12 years behind bars, his conditions have become unbearable.

El Beltagy, a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was arrested in 2013 following the military’s removal of the group’s President Mohamed Morsi, an action backed by widespread public protests. At the time, the now-outlawed group was accused of trying to assert control over the nation. Since his arrest, El Beltagy has undergone multiple trials and received lengthy prison sentences.

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