Rights lawyers have warned that journalist Mahmoud Al-Saqa’s health has severely deteriorated in detention, saying that his life is at risk, as prison administration is slow to take the necessary action.
Al-Saqa is suffering from low blood pressure, lawyer Khaled Ali said. Though the prison’s doctor demanded immediate inclusive medical tests and examinations, the prison administration has been slow in taking the required procedures. In a press statement, Ali asked for immediate intervention to save Al-Saqa.
Lawyer Doaa Mostafa told Daily News Egypt that Al-Saqa’s sister was the one who reported his poor health conditions in detention. She will visit him again on Wednesday to remain updated on any changes.
“The prison administration is not [facilitating] the necessary medical examinations. There will be several public holidays soon, which means even more delays in helping him,” Mostafa added.
Additionally, lawyer Tarek El-Awady said that no sunlight reaches Al-Saqa’s cell. Since the doctor’s visit, there has been no relevant progress and his life is at risk.
Former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahy said that the authorities will be held responsible legally, morally, and politically, if anything serious happens to Al-Saqa.
Al-Saqa was arrested in May along with journalist Amr Badr, as they had started a sit-in in late April in front of the Press Syndicate, protesting two security raids that were conducted at dawn at their private residences.
The arrest came after a police force of at least 40 officers stormed the syndicate’s headquarters in downtown Cairo and arrested them. The prosecution later issued a statement declaring that the detention of the journalists and the storming of the syndicate were pursuant to a search and arrest warrant issued by the prosecution.
On 26 May, appeals for the detentions of Al-Saqa and Badr, along with two other lawyers, were rejected by Shubra Al-Kheima court.
