Video has surfaced of Al Jazeera’s hunger striking journalist Abdullah Elshamy just days after he went missing in Egypt.
Abdullah Elshamy was last confirmed seen Monday morning when he was "abruptly" moved from his cell by Egyptian authorities, Al Jazeera said in a press release stressing their deep concern for the journalist. Elshamy has been on hunger strike for more than 110 days to protest being held in Cairo prison since August "without any charge." He and several other Al Jazeera journalists were detained for collaborating with an alleged terrorist organization and spreading false news.
Elshamy's family said they have not been able to communicate with him since he was transferred.
But new footage recorded of Elshamy just before his disappearance provides more information on his current condition under Egyptian authorities. The journalist reported that he has not been provided with medical care and thus recorded the message as a warning in case his "health fails totally":
"My name is Abdullah Elshamy, I’m Al Jazeera Arabic’s newsreporter. I have been detained since 14th August in Cairo while I was covering the dispersal of Rabaa al Adawiya sit-in. I was doing my job as a reporter and despite the authorities knowing this, I have been detained for 266 days without any charge and without committing any crime.
I record this video after I have reached 106 days of my hunger strike to hold the Egyptian government, the Egyptian judiciary and the General Prosecutor responsible. If anything ever happens to me, I have requested several medical checkups from independent sources and yet this help has not been provided. I haven’t also had any medical care here inside the prison and this is a record for the history and for the sake of documenting my state and thus if anything happens to me, whatever it is, either my health fails totally, or anything happens to my safety, I hold the Egyptian regime responsible for that."
On Monday, a blood test that was reportedly administered to Elshamy showed that he suffers from acute anaemia, kidney dysfunction and decreasing red blood cells. Elshamy reportedly looked "frail and emaciated" in the video, Al Jazzera said. A network spokesperson added that Elshamy "needs urgent independent medical attention." An appeal will be heard in court Thursday to argue his imprisonment.