Jameela: Nour's hospital has been turned into barracks

Cairo: Jameela Esmail, the wife of jailed opposition leader Ayman Nour, contends that his life is in real danger.

"Recent reports circulated by prison authorities that he attempted to commit suicide is a prelude to harm him," Esmail told Gulf News.

Nour, who came second in Egypt's first competitive presidential elections last September, is in jail serving five years on charges of forging official documents to gain legal recognition for his party Al Ghad (Tomorrow).

Nour, 43, had denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated to punish him for being a vociferous critic of President Hosni Mubarak.

On Saturday, Prosecutor-General Maher Abdul Wahed agreed to move Nour from the prison to the government-run Al Kasr Al Aini Hospital in Central Cairo.

"The hospital and its surroundings have turned into barracks since Nour was taken there," said Esmail, an ex-TV presenter.

"Though my children and I got permits to see Nour, security authorities prevented us without giving reasons. We will have to wait until Wednesday to try again to visit him."

Monday and Tuesday are public holidays in Egypt to celebrate the springtime festival of Sham Al Nessim and the Sinai Day anniversary.

Esmail said the prosecutor-general had agreed to move Nour to the hospital due to "threats to his life, health and rights in prison".

She claimed Nour had been probed by "unknown agencies" inside the prison and his papers had been confiscated by officials at the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).

"Under the pretext that Nour may commit suicide, the prison administration has placed an officer in plain clothes to directly monitor him during his sleeping and waking hours and even when he goes to the toilet which aims to destroy or affect Nour's morale and mentally and physically exhaust him,"said a petition filed by Nour's lawyer to the Prosecutor-General.

The lawyer added that Nour had decided to go on strike due to "abusive, harsh and restrictive treatment" he received in the Tura Prison outside Cairo.

Nour is a diabetic and suffers other health problems, according to his wife.

"We are sceptical about the Ministry of Interior's intentions towards Nour and demand he receive medical treatment at any hospital not run by security agencies," she added.

The Court of Cassation, Egypt's highest judicial authority, is due to hear on May 18 an appeal by Nour against his imprisonment.

"I am optimistic that the court will overturn the jailing ruling," said Esmail.

The writer is a journalist based in Cairo