Ahmed Maher of April 6 Movement joins hungerstrike of Egyptian political detainees

Ahmed Maher, the jailed former head of the April 6 Youth Movement, has joined a growing hunger strike movement. Maher, who founded the now-banned movement, stopped eating on 15 September, April 6 member Zizo Abdou said.
The hunger strike has been gaining momentum with activists, journalists and supporters inside and outside of jail joining to denounce a restrictive protest law and to call for the release of political detainees.

Ahmed Maher

a Facebook page called "We've had it up to here," which tracks the number of hunger strikers, said that 60 detainees were participating, along with nearly 100 supporters outside of jail. A number of political parties have also expressed solidarity with the hunger strikers.
Maher is serving a three-year jail term – along with two other prominent activists, Ahmed Douma and Mohamed Adel – on charges of holding unauthorised demonstrations and using force against the police.
A Cairo court banned all activities of the April 6 Youth Movement, ruling on a lawsuit that accused the group of espionage and defaming the Egyptian state.The move was criticised by rights advocates, who say the ruling was part of a crackdown on dissent. The April 6 Movement  played an important role in the January 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Lateron it was subject to a campaign that accused its members of being agents of foreign countries, paid to stir instability in the country.