Cairo - Three human rights activists in Egypt began a hunger strike on Saturday to protest at the sudden introduction of a draft law that they say will stifle Egypt's already struggling civil society, Siona Jenkins reports.
The three, all women, are part of a coalition of 14 human rights groups claiming that the bill, which is designed to regulate the country's non-governmental organisations, is a violation of both the Egyptian constitution and of international human rights.
They accuse the government of trying to ram the new law through parliament without giving time for proper debate and say they will stick to their strike unless the draft is rejected.