#FreeAlaa, Free All Egypt’s Political Prisoners

 by Stanley Heller, Middle East Crisis Committee

The Middle East Crisis Committee held a rally in front of the Federal building at 450 Main St. in Hartford on Nov. 7 to call for President Biden to press Egypt’s ruler Abdul Fattah El-Sisi to free Egyptian political prisoners, in particular well-known activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah. Biden was going to Egypt to attend the COP27 climate conference.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah has been in prison for years for peaceful protests that demanded basic democratic rights. He has been on a partial hunger strike for months and has started a total hunger strike. Egypt has tens of thousands of people in El-Sisi’s prisons for the “crime” of standing up for human rights. The Human Rights Watch estimate is 60,000 political prisoners.

Photo: Stanley Heller Stanley Heller, Executive Director of MECC said, “Alaa ate his last bit of food Nov. 4 and stopped drinking water Nov. 6. We must do all we can to free this man. We’re directing our message to President Biden and Congress since Biden will be in Egypt for the COP27 climate conference and because the U.S. gives the Egyptian dictatorship about $1.5 billion in aid each year. Certainly the U.S. has means of leverage.”

To see the bright yellow banner we’ve created for this event go to: https://thestrugglevideo.org/the-struggle

The Middle East Crisis Committee was founded in 1982 in New Haven and has interest in working for human rights, especially in Middle Eastern and North African countries.  For more info: Visit TheStruggleVideo.org.

[Alaa ended his hunger strike and remains in prison. His family was allowed to see him on Nov. 17, and said his health has visibly deteriorated.]