Egyptian activist detained for posting anti-Islam film starts hunger strike

Ahram Online, Saturday 15 Sep 2012

Activist Albert Saber starts a hunger strike while he waits in jail pending investigations into charges of insulting religions after posting an anti-Islam film on his Facebook page

Twenty-five year old activist Albert Saber began a hunger strike Saturday after he was arrested at his house and detained by police Thursday night.

Saber is charged with insulting religions for allegedly posting on his Facebook page the controversial anti-Islam short film that has spiked angry protests in Egypt and Muslim countries.

Albert, who is currently in detention for 15 days pending investigations, denied all charges and declared a hunger strike in the early hours of Saturday.

"At around 11:00pm Thursday night, a mob of residents gathered under Saber's house in El-Marg district and threatened to burn his house and the church near it. Albert ignored them as he went up to his house. When he found the door lock was broken, he called the police. When the police came they did not ask him anything and instead of protecting him they arrested him" rights activist Amir Taki told Ahram Online.

"He has been writing about freedom of religion and expression for the past period of time and the residents of the neighbourhood have been hostile towards him ever since," Taki explained.

"His account was breached because it was closed until 5:30 pm on Friday and suddenly it became available again," Taki noted.

Albert's mother will speak at a news conference Saturday evening at 7:00pm at the headquarters of the Democratic Front Party in downtown Cairo.

Earlier on Wednesday, crowds of angry, mainly Muslim, protesters gathered before the US embassy in Cairo to denounce a short film, which critics say demeans Islam and the Prophet Mohamed.

Clashes at the US embassy in Cairo erupted late Wednesday and continued through Friday, where two protesters were killed, over 260 have been arrested and around 200 were injured according to the latest investigation results.

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