Doctors Syndicate buliding in Downtown Cairo, Egypt (Photo: Al-Ahram)
Egypt's Doctors Syndicate called on the interior ministry and top prosecutor Nabil Sadek to refer to hospital 22 convicted prisoners who have been holding an open-ended hunger strike, a statement by the syndicate read.
The prisoners — serving sentences from two to five years for participating in protests against the Egyptian-Saudi island deal — signed a statement announcing the beginning of the hunger strike starting 18 May in protest against their jail sentences.
Following many complaints and calls by families of the convicted to the syndicate, the doctors called on the interior ministry and the prosecutor-general to closely monitor the health status of the 22 strikers.
"We demand that the responsible authorities immediately take action and refer the prisoners to hospitals, as there have been reports of deterioration in the health of the strikers, which could lead to serious consequences," the statement read.
The prisoners announced in their statement that their hunger strike would start with 10 people with more to follow in the upcoming weeks until 47 convicted prisoners are on hunger strike.
More than 150 people were sentenced to between two and five years in prison on 14 May over their participation in protests against an Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea maritime border demarcation deal last month.
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