Mohamed Soltan’s health worsens in prison, family appeals for his release

As detainee Mohamed Soltan enters the 234th day of his hunger strike, his family filed a request with the general prosecutor for his release due to his critical health condition.

Soltan’s family, lawyer and a representative from the American Embassy were unable to obtain an official report on his current health condition, his sister Sarah Mohamed told Mada Masr.

While the prison administration had claimed that Soltan declined his family’s last request for a visit, they were in fact unable to see Soltan in prison because he was physically unable to move, according to Sarah.

Soltan, who holds a US passport, was arrested last August when police forces raided his home to apprehend his father, Muslim Brotherhood leader Salah Sultan, who was not present at the time. Mohamed had reportedly returned to Egypt to look after his sick mother prior to his arrest.

Soltan’s family issued a statement saying that he was in dire condition and faces imminent organ failure.

The prison administration’s failure to respond to Soltan’s medical condition is “blatant murder,” intensive care unit (ICU) physician Taher Mokhtar argued. Soltan was supposed to be moved to an ICU facility as soon as he started suffering from blood clots in his lungs weeks ago, Mokhtar added.

However, Soltan is still in solitary confinement and is only transferred to the ICU when he loses consciousness, then is returned to his cell once he awakes, the family claims.

Also on Tuesday, detained political activist Ahmed Douma’s lawyers filed a request with the head of Tora prison to transfer the activist to an external health care facility, at his own expense.

Douma’s health took a turn for the worse when he abstained from taking his medication as he entered the 21st day of his hunger strike in protest against his imprisonment.

A physician assigned to the case by the National Council for the Human Rights recommended that Douma be transferred to the hospital 10 days ago, but the prison administration has yet to do so.

Douma had said he wasn’t well enough to attend last week’s court session in the “Shura Council protest” case, but according to his lawyers, police forces beat him until he agreed to attend.

On Monday, reports began circulating that the highly controversial Protest Law would be amended, resulting in the release of political prisoners who were detained under the law.

The current iteration of the law stipulates that organizers of a demonstration must notify security forces at least 24 hours in advance of the planned protest, and obtain the necessary approval.

The amendment to the law, which was to be discussed by the Cabinet on Tuesday, would remove the mandatory prison sentence for violating this condition, and instead impose monetary fines.

The Freedom for the Brave and We’re Fed Up campaigns have intensified their calls to send protest telegrams to the general prosecutor demanding Soltan’s release, and the release of Ibrahim al-Yamany, who has been on a hunger strike for 152 days.