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Egyptian Dissident Fattah Gets Lawyer Visit


FILE: Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah looks on from behind the defendant's cage during his trial for insulting the judiciary in Cairo on May 23, 2015.
FILE: Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah looks on from behind the defendant's cage during his trial for insulting the judiciary in Cairo on May 23, 2015.

A member of the defense team of Egyptian-British hunger striker Alaa Abd el-Fattah tweeted on Thursday that he had been granted permission by Egypt's state prosecutor to visit him in prison.

Khaled Ali, a member of the defense team, said he secured visitation after pressing authorities for days.

Fattah, a longtime foe of President al-Sisi, has been imprisoned on charges of spreading "false news" critical of the government and its human rights record.

He began a hunger strike seven months ago, refusing food except for some 100 calories a day, and recently extended his action to include refusing water.

On November 10 word came that he had been given "medical intervention," meaning possibly "force fed"

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to discuss Fattah's case and his release when he meets Friday with the Egyptian president. The fate of thousands of others imprisoned for political dissent is also expected to be on the agenda.

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