The Take talks to the sister of the activist on a starvation and water strike imprisoned in Egypt.
The world’s eyes are on Egypt this week, with the United Nations Local weather Change Convention – COP27 – going down within the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. However whereas Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi positions himself as an environmental chief, one among his nation’s main activists could possibly be about to die.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah has been on starvation strike for greater than 200 days, in a protest over his imprisonment. However on Sunday – the primary day of COP27 – he stopped consuming water as nicely. Will the worldwide neighborhood do something to avoid wasting him?
On this episode:
- Mona Seif (@monasosh), human rights activist and sister of Alaa Abd el-Fattah
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Full episode transcript:
This transcript was created utilizing AI. It’s been reviewed by people, however it may include errors. Please tell us when you have any corrections or questions, our e mail is TheTake@aljazeera.internet.
Antonio Guterres: President el-Sisi, thanks very a lot for this excellent hospitality and for this spectacular organisation.
Halla Mohieddeen: That’s UN Secretary Normal Antonio Guterres. He’s among the many world leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt for COP27, hosted this yr by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi: We now have to ask ourselves an pressing query right here: Is it not about time to place an finish to all this struggling?
Halla Mohieddeen: However whereas Sisi positions himself as a pacesetter on local weather change, a special actuality is hidden from view. Activists in Egypt, together with many environmentalists, have confronted a extreme crackdown throughout Sisi’s presidency. An estimated 60,000 political prisoners are behind bars. And now, throughout COP, one among them might die on starvation strike. I’m Halla Mohiedeen, and that is The Take.
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Halla Mohieddeen: Alaa Abd el-Fattah is likely one of the most well-known human rights activists and younger writers in Egypt. He’s additionally a British citizen. He’s been out and in of jail for a lot of the final 9 years and has been jailed or charged by each Egyptian authorities in his lifetime. His present cost stems from a Fb put up he reshared. Alaa has now been starvation hanging for over 200 days to protest his imprisonment. And since COP27 began on Sunday, he has stopped consuming water as nicely, hoping to attract extra consideration to his case with the world’s eyes on Egypt. With out water, the human physique can solely survive just a few days. I’m speaking to one among Alaa’s youthful sisters about what could be accomplished to avoid wasting his life. We recorded this interview on Monday the 7 of November. As of publication, there’s been no proof of life from Alaa since his water strike started.
Mona Seif: I’m Mona Seif. In the mean time I really feel like my foremost identification is that I’m Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s sister. Me and the entire household try to get him out of jail earlier than we lose him utterly.
Halla Mohieddeen: Alaa got here to fame through the 2011 revolution that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.
Mona Seif: He's actually one of the vital distinguished voices that rose through the January twenty fifth Revolution, 2011. And his writings ever since had been type of a mixture between a diary to what we as a technology had been going via and dealing with, but additionally an expression of voices of loads of us and people individuals who couldn’t communicate up.
Halla Mohieddeen: Right here he's again then, talking to Al Jazeera English. This was on January 29, 2011.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah: I feel each motion taken by the Egyptian folks prior to now 20 years is now bearing fruit. It’s inconceivable to think about them as failures as a result of they've led to what we're seeing now.
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Halla Mohieddeen: So Mona, life is clearly totally different now. Are you able to simply speak to us about who Alaa is as an individual?
Mona Seif: He's the kindest of us three. And I’m not simply saying that is an exaggeration, that is the fact. He's an incredible father. He’s additionally the most effective buddy of my mom. They're each geeks. He actually has this particular reference to each one among us.
Halla Mohieddeen: And for Alaa, this second is the newest chapter in an extended 9 years since Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took energy in a navy coup.
Mona Seif: Ever since they got here to energy, finish of 2013, Alaa has been in jail. Even when he was briefly launched after ending a full five-year sentence, they re-arrested him once more. And our, you understand, household’s whole life has been taken over by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s prisons and courts and police stations.
Halla Mohieddeen: Yeah, simply speak to us about his most up-to-date arrest.
Mona Seif: His most up-to-date arrest was actually unusual and was actually surprising.
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Mona Seif: Alaa was launched in March 2019 after ending a full five-year sentence. Opposite to the regulation, he was compelled to spend each night time in a police station locked. So each night time at 6pm he would flip himself into the police station and they'd solely let him again out once more at 6am.
Halla Mohieddeen: This was after he’d accomplished his earlier sentence. However Mona says Alaa used his 12 hours a day of freedom to get his life again on observe, particularly to reconnect together with his son, who’s now 11 years previous.
Mona Seif: However six months later, in September 2019, abruptly unexpectedly he was taken from the police station on to state safety prosecution, and from then on began this new journey we're having with prisons, which was extra brutal and extra violent than something we’ve skilled personally as a household.
Halla Mohieddeen: Alaa was despatched to most safety jail. Mona says, together with Amnesty Worldwide, that he was tortured. And it took two years simply to be taught why: he was charged after resharing a Fb put up in regards to the demise of a political prisoner. Mona referred to as the trial a sham.
Mona Seif: He's presently serving a five-year sentence for sharing a Fb put up. It was very bizarre as a result of additionally they determined to not depend the preliminary two years he was in pretrial detention. So it’s as in the event that they set the clock to zero once more. And it form of hit us. We realised that so long as Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is in energy, he doesn't intend for Alaa to be out of jail in any respect, and that each time a case is over, they'll simply strum up a brand new case and new fees and simply make sure that he spends the remainder of his life in jail, if not die in it.
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Halla Mohieddeen: It’s gonna appear actually unbelievable to loads of our listeners that he’s been subjected to a different jail sentence for merely sharing a put up another person wrote on Fb.
Mona Seif: Effectively, I perceive it appears so unbelievable. And it will appear so unbelievable to anybody not dwelling in Egypt and never experiencing the fact of how it's to be dwelling in a rustic dominated by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi together with his degree of brutality and oppression. Truthfully, Alaa shouldn't be the one one like that. Principally, each democracy voice, who had a strong presence throughout 2011 are languishing in Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s prisons proper now. Writers, journalists, political activists and human rights defenders. But additionally 1000's of people that had been both younger activists or not lively in any respect, who had been randomly arrested and who had been despatched to jail as nicely. And significantly with folks like Alaa, my brother, they wish to set an instance as a result of they're consistently terrified that individuals will repeat their try to alter issues and overthrow the regime again in 2011.
Halla Mohieddeen: Alaa mentioned as a lot himself through the revolution.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah: Whoever comes after that's going to rule in mortal worry of the folks. They're going to keep in mind these scenes eternally.
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Halla Mohieddeen: Now he’s been on starvation strike, hasn’t he? For fairly someday now.
Mona Seif: Sure. He’s been on starvation strike, which was largely partial since April. So he was taking 100 energy a day to maintain him and to provide us an opportunity to strengthen his wrestle and hopefully safe his launch. He really believes they meant to depart him in jail till he dies. And I feel that is Alaa’s method of seizing again what energy he has left through the use of his physique, to struggle again in opposition to what they've determined for him. Particularly that he has endured 9 years of this and already earlier this yr he had informed us that he can not fathom enduring one other yr in jail.
Halla Mohieddeen: Now he’s determined to escalate this starvation strike, hasn’t he? He’s not taking in water.
Mona Seif: Sure. So we get a weekly letter. He notified us final week that he’s escalating with the start of COP27. He’s stopping water. So early morning, sixth of November, was the final glass of water he drank. Once you cease water, it’s a matter of days and so it truly is now as much as the governments and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who's in COP27 proper now, to search out out a method of resolving this rapidly with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and getting all out of jail earlier than he dies.
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Halla Mohieddeen: For the Egyptian authorities’s half, they’ve been requested about Alaa a number of instances through the convention. Right here’s international minister Sameh Shoukry in an interview with US community CNBC.
Sameh Shoukry: I'm assured that jail authorities will present the healthcare. And the care that's out there to all inmates, as is the case in every other penal system.
Halla Mohieddeen: Shoukry additionally solid doubt on Alaa’s starvation strike and talked about the Egyptian authorities has but to recognise his British citizenship. Mona says she needs the world might see simply how frail her brother has turn out to be. She final visited him in September, after not seeing him for a while.
Mona Seif: I used to be horrified at how a lot weight he misplaced, and I form of received caught within the go to, and I stored on telling him, you look so frail, I don’t perceive. And after I stepped out of it, all I might consider is that if folks might see how he seems to be. They might realise the severity of the scenario, and I feel that is exactly why they received’t permit the consular go to and so they received’t permit any picture or footage of how he seems to be proper now.
Halla Mohieddeen: You talked about that Alaa has this British citizenship in addition to an Egyptian one, however do you get the sense that the British authorities has been, nicely, doing something actually? Why do you suppose he’s not been given a consular go to?
Mona Seif: The UK authorities has been asking repeatedly, for a consular go to. however they haven't accomplished any motion, which makes it seem to be it is a severe request, and something within the relations with Egypt, even diplomatically, could be affected.
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Mona Seif: Whereas they had been demanding consular entry, whereas Alaa’s case was deteriorating, all the pieces was enterprise as normal between the UK and Egypt, together with that their official accounts are selling tourism movies to Egypt and declaring that they're investing extra hundreds of thousands of kilos in Egypt and so forth. So, I’m not even positive why would the Egyptian authorities have taken them critically.
Halla Mohieddeen: Proper, The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has mentioned he plans to lift the difficulty with Sisi. Do you get the sense the prime minister understands the urgency of this matter?
Mona Seif: I’m glad Rishi Sunak is in COP27 as a result of I truthfully really feel like that is our final probability to get Alaa out. However having mentioned so, we're frightened, that them stepping up or them taking it critically is occurring just a little bit too late. As a result of, whereas the Egyptians are going to attempt to stall as a lot as attainable, and I really consider they need Alaa to die.
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Halla Mohieddeen: After the break, Mona tells us how COP27 is hiding Egypt’s poor report on the setting and human rights.
Halla Mohieddeen: Whereas President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is within the limelight this week for internet hosting COP27, many activists, together with Mona, say the trail to COP has been paved with repression, and Egyptians have paid a excessive worth.
Newsreel: Egypt has launched a crackdown on civil society.
Newsreel: Simply days earlier than the UN local weather summit begins in Sharm el-Sheikh, a whole lot have been arrested.
Halla Mohieddeen: And Mona thinks the world has turned a blind eye to what’s taking place in Egypt.
Mona Seif: It's completely hypocrisy and now we have to keep in mind that Abdel Fatah el-Sisi’s regime is prospering due to that hypocrisy.
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Mona Seif: It’s not nearly COP27. Highly effective western governments are keen to show a blind eye about lots of the crimes he dedicated due to enterprise offers and since he’s a key participant within the regional coverage. So it's only pure to count on that the hypocrisy will prolong and embrace COP27. Should you really have a look at the report of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s authorities, they've been anti-green in Egypt. They've been eradicating all of the greenery from town. They've been destructing heritage. They've been all about constructing extra concrete, bridges and prisons and buildings. So truthfully, if there was a severe funding in having a correct dialog in regards to the local weather disaster within the first place, they wouldn’t have held it in Egypt for positive.
Halla Mohieddeen: Mona says she thinks the fact will filter via to COP a method or one other – and there are just a few indicators it has. Attendees have seen that many web sites they wish to seek the advice of for info are blocked. The official COP app has been criticised for invasive privateness issues. And Alaa’s case was talked about in a gap session, referencing the title of his e book, “You Have Not But Been Defeated”.
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Halla Mohieddeen: Are you able to clarify why Alaa’s case has turn out to be such a problem at this local weather summit? I imply, what would you say to individuals who say that human rights points are distracting from the primary subject, which is after all, local weather and international warming?
Mona Seif: Truthfully for me, you'll be able to’t have a severe dialogue and a severe try at resolving the local weather disaster, with out it being in an setting of free speech and other people with the ability to speak and have discussions and arguments and organise inside themselves. But additionally, significantly with Egypt, the voices that will be of profit are these in jail. Alaa has engaged with the local weather disaster, however not simply that. We now have Ahmad Badawi, who's a solar energy engineer – is in jail for years. Once we had been having constitutional referendum, he raised only a banner on his personal within the streets saying “Vote No”, and he’s in jail now for 4 or 5 years. The truth is the individuals who ought to be representing Egypt, who ought to be becoming a member of within the discussions and the plenaries and teams in COP27, are these in jail, not Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s authorities and their officers who're utterly not about local weather disaster or saving the planet.
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Halla Mohieddeen: Now you come from a household of activists. Your sister Sanaa has simply travelled to Sharm el-Sheikh for the convention to attract consideration to Alaa’s scenario. However doing that may be a large threat as nicely, isn’t it?
Mona Seif: Undoubtedly doing that may be a large threat. It’s an enormous threat, significantly with Sanaa as a result of, Sanaa our youngest has already been in jail 3 times.
Halla Mohieddeen: God.
Mona Seif: Since Abdel Fattah el-Sisi got here to energy, provided that Alaa is now on a water strike, we all know that now we have solely a matter of days and so she felt that any threat is price it so long as we don’t really threat dropping Alaa.
Halla Mohieddeen: However you possibly can lose her.
Mona Seif: Sure we might, when it comes to she might get detained. However we talked, me and Sanaa, and we truthfully suppose that we’ll by no means be protected until Alaa is out of jail.
Halla Mohieddeen: It’s, and I’m simply talking personally right here, I don’t know if I might have that form of braveness and that form of power that you just and your loved ones are demonstrating right here. It’s one thing I simply don’t suppose I’d be capable to do, personally.
Mona Seif: I feel, you actually can be stunned what you might be able to doing when the folks you maintain dearest to your coronary heart are in peril. I’m not the identical particular person I used to be 10 years in the past. This journey has been about us creating and discovering new strengths in ourselves. And so, I perceive how folks may have a look at our story and really feel I might by no means do that, however I’m seeing so many different households doing superb issues that no one can think about.
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Halla Mohieddeen: You talked earlier about you'll be able to’t return to a standard life until Alaa is freed. I imply, have you ever ever dared to consider what regular life might seem like after this?
Mona Seif: So, I had it for some time, however then when Alaa was re-arrested in 2019, this was utterly squashed. I couldn’t concentrate on my profession. I couldn’t concentrate on my life with my husband. All I might really feel was a way of hazard and any creativeness of a standard life was utterly worn out of my head.
Halla Mohieddeen: However Mona mentioned one thing shifted across the finish of final yr, when her household finalised the paperwork for Alaa’s British citizenship, and it lastly appeared there is perhaps a method out.
Mona Seif: He feels that for the primary time in years, there’s a chance for him to alter the plan the Egyptian regime has for him, which is to stay in jail till he dies, and he's attempting all the pieces he has, together with placing his life in danger, to grab this chance and be reunited with us as a household and truly have a go at a future away from this insanity.
Halla Mohieddeen: Given the value that your loved ones is paying, have you ever ever simply puzzled, is that this price it?
Mona Seif: Um, no. And I do know it’s such a bizarre factor, and it’s mainly as a result of I don’t perceive how else to outlive, how else to exist as a human being. Once you cope with this type of, you understand, lunacy, you're feeling comforted even for those who’re paying a really excessive worth, that a minimum of you might be sticking to your personal voice and your personal values, and also you don’t get up someday ever feeling self-loathe. I look again at all the pieces, and I can’t think about a second the place you could have acted otherwise.
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Halla Mohieddeen: To the technology of 2011, Alaa is an iconic determine. I wish to know what you'll say to Egyptians who wish to assist him and different prisoners however are afraid that they’d find yourself in jail themselves or threat their households who're nonetheless in Egypt. What would you say to them?
Mona Seif: I might say I perceive. I perceive worry. I don’t suppose anybody might actually perceive how violence grew to become such a standard a part of our each day life in Egypt. And the way worry guidelines all the pieces in every single place. And never simply on politics – in academia, in folks speaking on Fb, folks even discussing tv sequence. All the things, all the pieces. By some means this regime finds a method of individuals ending up in jail for it. We get loads of love and assist from people who find themselves unable to talk up in Egypt as a result of they're afraid of the results. So, I truthfully perceive, and I really feel like it's as much as others, particularly folks from world wide who're watching this and who've much less to threat to assist us elevate the problems and the tales of these in Egypt, and people in jail till one thing main shifts and adjustments.
Halla Mohieddeen: And that’s The Take. This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Alexandra Locke and Negin Owliaei with Ruby Zaman, Chloe Ok Li, Amy Walters, and me, Halla Mohieddeen. Alex Roldan is our sound designer. Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad are the Take’s engagement producers. And Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. We’ll be again on Friday.
Episode credit:
This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Alexandra Locke and Negin Owliaei. Ruby Zaman fact-checked this episode. Our manufacturing crew consists of Amy Walters, Alexandra Locke, Chloe Ok Li, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei and our host Halla Mohieddeen. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
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