Egyptian-American citizen Mustafa Kassem has died in Egypt after going on hunger strike in prison. The 54-year-old was a New York taxi driver, originally from Egypt, who was arrested on a home visit in 2013 on accusations of being a spy and taking part in anti-government protests.

Mr Kassem had always denied the charges against him. He stopped eating solids late last year and ceased drinking fluids four days ago. The top US diplomat for the Middle East, David Schenker, described Mr Kassem’s death as “needless, tragic and avoidable”.  Mr Kassem was arrested in August 2013 in Cairo by security officials who accused him of being a spy and taking part in protests against the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2018.(BBC)…[+]