The Hunger Strike Battle: A Lesson in “Resisting the Jailer is Better than Surrendering”

Statement by the Revolutionary Socialists

Over 1,500 political prisoners have embarked on a hunger strike, refusing food and, in some cases, even medication. Inmates at Tora Maximum Security Prison grimly nicknamed the “Scorpion Tomb,” and at Hadra Prison in Alexandria have joined forces in this strike, challenging General Sisi’s regime from within the confines of solitary cells. As Sisi tightens his grip on the Egyptian population, effectively turning the country into a giant prison, these inmates are mounting a courageous stand against his authority from the inside.

The hunger strike at Scorpion Prison is part of an ongoing series of protests that have flared up since the military coup in July 2013. The most recent wave began on October 28, 2017, when more than a thousand prisoners joined the strike. It was sparked by Essam Sultan, a leader of the Wasat Party, who began his strike on October 17 to protest the brutal treatment of prisoners and their families—when visits are even allowed. Sultan has vowed to continue his strike until he is granted a meeting with a United Nations committee.

In another powerful act of defiance, 236 Zamalek football fans at Hadra Prison in Alexandria launched their hunger strike. They are protesting the military court’s decision to extend their detention for another 30 days, the third time this has happened. The prison authorities responded with violence and mistreatment against the detained fans.

These simultaneous strikes, though driven by different demands, have once again brought to light urgent human rights issues: the trial of civilians in military courts, the prolonged detention of political prisoners beyond their legal pretrial periods (which should not exceed two years), and the common thread of abuse and mistreatment behind bars. These issues could cast a long shadow over the upcoming presidential elections, just months away. While Sisi continues to deny the existence of political prisoners in his international statements, these hunger strikes serve as a stark reminder that political prisoners in Egypt are accurate and are driven to desperate measures in the face of an authoritarian regime. This reality makes it clear that Sisi intends to hold elections under the cloud of repression and torture.

While Sisi tries to present a progressive image to the world by hosting the so-called “World Youth Forum,” as if to suggest that Egypt’s future lies in the hands of its young people, the simultaneous hunger strike by the young Zamalek fans (the Ultras) during the forum shows how hollow his efforts are. It’s clear that the state’s genuine relationship with its youth is one of repression, coercion, and brutality.

The Revolutionary Socialists demand the immediate release of the prisoners from the Scorpion Tomb and the young Zamalek Ultras. They also urge political and revolutionary groups to stand with the hunger strikers in their battle against the jailer by organizing solidarity strikes and by addressing critical issues such as the trial of civilians in military courts, the ongoing detention of prisoners beyond their legal terms, and the widespread torture and mistreatment within Egypt’s prisons.

Let those who feel fear, exhaustion, or despair know that resistance is better than silence and surrender is not an option.

Write on the prison wall: “Sisi’s rule is disgrace and betrayal.”