Egypt: Poet Galal El-Behairy attempts suicide amid prolonged arbitrary detention
18 September: PEN International has learned that imprisoned Egyptian poet Galal El-Behairy attempted to commit suicide on 9 September, four days after resuming his hunger strike in protest against his prolonger arbitrary detention. We are deeply concerned about his health and well-being and hold the Egyptian authorities fully responsible for his suicide attempt. We reiterate our calls for El-Behairy’s immediate and unconditional release.
Responding to the news of his suicide attempt, PEN International’s President, Burhan Sonmez said: “We are devastated to hear that such a prominent young poet nearly lost his life in prison, and are relieved to learn that he survived his suicide attempt. The Egyptian authorities have pushed Galal El-Behairy to the brink by keeping him stuck in an endless loop of arbitrary imprisonment, which he tried to break by attempting suicide.They are not only denying El-Behairy his freedom but also destroying his hope of ending the injustice he has been enduring since 2018. El-Behairy has done nothing but write poetry. He should be living his life as a free man, with his family and loved ones, not languishing in prison.”
On 5 September 2023, El-Behairy reached the maximum legal limit of pre-trial detention without a trial, marking two years in arbitrary pre-trial detention on trumped-up charges of “disseminating false news” and “joining a terrorist group” in case number 2000/2021 SSSP. According to Egyptian law, he should have been released before reaching this limit. However, Egyptian authorities continue to detain him arbitrarily. In a message to PEN International in August, El-Behairy announced his intention to resume his hunger strike on 5 September, which he had suspended in June, to protest his unjust pre-trial detention. He also expressed his desire to attend his younger sister’s wedding in October as a free man.
El-Behairy has already served an unjust 3-year sentence imposed by a military court in July 2021. Nevertheless, Egyptian prosecutors have brought forth additional fabricated charges against him, leading to his continued arbitrary pre-trial detention. Over the course of his five years imprisonment, El-Behairy’s health has significantly deteriorated due to torture and inhumane detention conditions. He has reportedly lost considerable weight since commencing his hunger in March 2023.
For more information on Galal El-Behairy and PEN International's actions on his case, please visit: https://www.pen-international.org/news/poet-galal-el-behairy-marks-two-years-in-arbitrary-pre-trial-detention
For more information, please contact Mina Thabet, Head of the MENA Region, email: Mina.Thabet@pen-international.org
