The sister of jailed British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who has been on hunger strike, says their family have been informed he has been given “medical intervention”.
Mona Seif said officials at Wadi al-Natroun prison had told their mother that the intervention took place “with the knowledge of judicial entities”.
She was also warned she could no longer wait outside for news, Ms Seif added.
Abdel Fattah, 40, escalated his hunger strike on Sunday by refusing water.
He began a partial hunger strike in April in a bid to pressure Egyptian authorities to allow British diplomats to visit him.
With authorities continuing to refuse consular access, he told his family last week in a letter that he would stop drinking water when the COP27 climate conference opened in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
On Wednesday, his family demanded that Egypt provide proof that he was still alive and expressed concern that prison authorities might be force-feeding him by putting him on intravenous drips against his will.
They were reacting to comments by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who told his French counterpart that Egypt was “committed to ensuring that [the] health of Alaa Abdel Fattah is preserved”, and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who stressed that “necessary healthcare” was provided to inmates.
“URGENT: They just told mama she is not allowed to stay by the prison, confirmed that ‘Medical intervention has been taken with @alaa, with the knowledge of judicial entities’ !!” Mona Seif tweeted on Thursday morning.
“How can they not inform us and the lawyers?? how can we not see @alaa ourselves!! #SaveAlaa #Cop27”
In another tweet, she called on Egyptian authorities to allow her mother to see him or, if not, someone from the British embassy in Cairo “so we understand his real health status”.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday that Abdel Fattah must be “freed and reunited with his family as soon as possible”.
