CAIRO: Prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood Gamal Heshmat and Osama Soliman’s health is deteriorating after they went on hunger strike since their detention on Tuesday.
Heshmat and Soliman are to be kept in custody for 15 days.
The two men have shown signs of “severe fatigue after staging a hunger strike in response to the unjust and harsh treatment by security forces after being arrested,” a statement on the Brotherhood’s official website read.
Counselor Yasser Zaki, the attorney general for Damanhour Prosecution office, ordered the immediate medical examination of the detainees and for the results to be prepared as soon as possible.
The two members were arrested a checkpoint at the entrance of Damanhour in the governorate of Beheira.
They went on hunger strike in protest against their mistreatment during the interrogations, saying that they were treated like “criminals,” and the security’s “raids and violations” of their homes and families.
They are facing charges of belonging to a banned group as well as the possession of pamphlets which incite hatred of the regime.
The Muslim Brotherhood denies all charges and “deplored the implementation of the emergency law against the political opposition, in particularly members of the Muslim Brotherhood,” they stated.
Heshmat and Soliman were transferred to Borg El-Arab prison in Alexandria for their 15-day detention. An appeal was filed to the Misdemeanor’s Court in Damanhour, calling for their immediate and unconditional release.
Muslim Brotherhood lawyer and head of the detainees’ defense committee, Abdel Moniem Abdel Maqsoud, said that they have filed a request at the Prosecution office asking for their transfer from Borg El-Arab to a hospital but are waiting for the results of the medical examinations.
Abdel Maqsoud told local press that he is holding the Minister of Interior Habib El-Adly, responsible for the deterioration of Heshmat and Soliman’s health.
