General Hany El-Refai of Egypt’s prison directorate denied that Israeli spy Ouda Tarabin has went on a hunger strike as reported earlier today.
"He [Tarabin] has not informed the prison of his intention to go on a hunger strike," El-Refai told Al-Ahram Arabic language news website.
Tarabin, who is currently in Liman Torah Prison in Egypt, had begun a hunger strike to demand his release, Egyptian state news agency MENA reported earlier on Wednesday.
Tarabin, a Bedouin, was arrested in Egypt 12 years ago on charges of espionage and received a life sentence in 2000.
In October 2011, Egypt and Israel swapped Ilan Grapel, an Israeli-American accused of spying for Mossad, for 25 Egyptian prisoners in Israel. Ex-military officer Sameh Seif El-Yazal said after the deal that Israel had requested that Trabin and three other Israeli prisoners be part of the exchange, but Egypt had declined.
Palestinian Ayman Sharawna, who was on a hunger strike in an Israeli jail for almost eight months until 17 March, confirmed on Sunday that over 60 Egyptian prisoners remain in Israeli prisons
