This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS CAIRO 009349 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC STAFF FOR SINGH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT: AYMAN NOUR IN PRISON HOSPITAL, HUNGER 
STRIKE CONTINUES 
 
REF: CAIRO 9209 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Multiple Ghad Party contacts confirm press reports 
that opposition leader Ayman Nour was tranferred on December 
17 to the hospital in Mazra' Torah prison, just south of 
Cairo.  Contacts advised that Nour, who is diabetic and also 
suffers from heart disease, was deteriorating.  Nour 
announced during the December 12 session of his forgery trial 
that he was beginning a hunger strike. 
 
¶2. (SBU) A senior Ghad Party contact told us that prison 
authorities had sent Nour a prison chaplain to persuade him 
to give up his hunger strike.  Nour refused, according to our 
contact, and instead invited the chaplain to join him in the 
strike.  The next session of the trial is set for December 
¶24.  Observers expect that the judge will announce the 
verdict and pass sentence on that day. 
 
 
JONES