Prominent Egyptian dissident's health fading in prison; said to be at risk of "sudden death"

At the request of the attorney of Dr. Ayman Nour, a prominent Egyptian political prisoner, the concerns of a group of physicians regarding Ayman Nour’s severely deteriorating health were scheduled to be presented in front of an Egyptian court Tuesday. This effort comes in response to the Egyptian government’s persistent refusal to release Ayman Nour on medical grounds.

According to the medical reports conducted, Nour suffers from a number of serious ailments. One report states that Nour has “high blood sugar rates (diabetes) combined with high blood pressure and arrhythmia, which resulted in initial complications in the form of changes in the coronary arteries, as well as the arteries in the eyes and extremities, in addition to fatty liver; roughness and cervical prolapse in the neck; roughness of the joints of the two knees and the accumulation of residue and a stone in the right kidney.” As a result of the severity of Nour’s condition, some of the physicians recommended that Nour be released from prison and placed in a hospital in order to receive necessary treatment. The reports suggest that Nour’s illnesses are life threatening and constitute acceptable medical cause for his release.