Detained Journalist marks 81 days on hunger strike

Al Jazeera Journalist Abdullah al-Shami who has been detained by the Egyptian government has now clocked 81 days on hunger strike which is almost four times India’s Gandhi’s longest hunger strike which lasted for 21 days, reports Owen Miyanza for Zambian Eye.

Abdullah al-Shami still hasn’t been charged, he will remain behind bars  until the next court hearing on April 22, 2014.

Al Jazeera is worried on the continued detention of its Journalist and is concerned that one of them has now gone for close to three months without eating.

“Owen, thanks for your continued coverage of this. We’re really worried about Abdullah El Shamy in particular, who has been on hunger strike for 81 days, which is approaching 4 times Gandhi’s longest (21 days),” said Kevin Kriedemann who is African publicist at Al Jazeera English when asked for an update on the detained Journalists.

Abdullah al-Shami in a letter he authored in prison dated April 6, 2014 obtained by Al Jazeera complained of bone aches and disclosed that he can barely manage to stand.

Abdullah who works as correspondent for the Doha-based media network’s Arabic news channel has been in detention from August 14, 2013 and no charge has been slapped on him.

Al Jazeera reported that the letter was addressed to fellow detainee Mohamed Soltan and was given to Al Jazeera by al-Shami’s wife, Gehad Khaled.

Al-Shami says his family, friends and fellow prisoners had “put pressure” on him to stop his hunger strike but that he was “determined, willing and hard-headed” about his freedom.

He said he was confident that both he and Soltan would be released one day and that when that happened, they would visit the West Indies together.

In another letter, the journalist, who is being held at Tora prison in Cairo, said he would not end his hunger strike until he gained his “full freedom”.

His brother Mohamed, who last met Abdullah in March, said he had lost 30kg while in detention.

There are three other Al Jazeera journalists being held by Egyptian authorities.

Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, who work for the network’s English channel, are falsely accused of providing a platform to an outlawed group.