Egyptian journalists start new round of hunger strike against protest law

Ahram Online, Sunday 21 Sep 2014

The new two-day "Battle of Empty Stomachs" started on Sunday 21 September and will extend until Monday night

Journalists Syndicate
Journalists' Syndicate Headquarters, downtown Cairo (Photo: Mohamed Nada)

A group of Egyptian journalists under the name "Journalists against the protest law" announced on Sunday in a statement they would start another hunger strike inside the Journalists Syndicate in solidarity with hunger striking prisoners and against the controversial protest law.

The two-day battle of empty stomachs started on Sunday 21 September until the next day according to the statement.

There are 21 journalists participating in the strike.

There are also eight other journalists and researchers currently in Germany who decided to join the strike.

On 13 September, a group of 15 journalists announced they would go on a temporary hunger strike that would last for three days against the country's controversial protest law.

Many activists and detainees have embarked on a hunger strike lately against the law, which has been used to arrest and imprison hundreds since it was passed in November 2013.

There have been some reports that the government is working to amend the controversial law but this was recently dismissed by the Egyptian government.

A cabinet spokesman has stated that no discussions about the law or its provisions were held during the inter-ministerial meeting on Wednesday, and ruled out such a possibility in the near future.

Nevertheless, a member of the recently-founded Egyptian National Council for Human Rights in Egypt's transitional, has already drafted amendments proposed by the council following correspondence with the government.

Short link: