An Egyptian court extended for a further 45 days Wednesday the detention of an Al-Jazeera journalist who has been on hunger strike for nearly five months, judicial sources said.
Abdullah Elshamy, who works for the main Arabic channel of the Qatar-based network, was arrested August 14 when police dispersed supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo.
Elshamy, who has yet to face trial, has been on hunger strike since January 21 to protest his detention, according to his family.
The authorities have been incensed by Al-Jazeera's coverage of their crackdown on Morsi supporters, in which more than 1,400 have been killed in street clashes and at least 15,000 jailed.
Elshamy's family told AFP in May that he had shed 40 kilogrammes (88 pounds) since he began the hunger strike.
Three other Al-Jazeera journalists with the network's English-language channel are held in Egypt and on trial for defamation and supporting Morsi's Brotherhood.
The trial of Australian Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and 17 other co-defendants has sparked an international outcry.
On June 5, prosecutors demanded the "maximum" penalty for all 20 defendants in this trial.
Source: AFP