Amnesty International has censured the Egyptian government for denying proper medical care to a jailed political activist who has been on hunger strike over the past 230 days.

In a statement issued on Friday, the UK-based rights group said authorities in Cairo had endangered the life of hunger striking detainee Mohamed Soltan by denying the critically-ill activist sufficient medical care and locking him up in solitary confinement.

Mohamed Soltan is among the 86 jailed activists who have gone on hunger strike across Egypt in protest at their dire detention conditions and unfair trials. They are also showing their protest at a restrictive anti-protest law aimed at stifling anti-government demonstrations.

“Denying medical care to someone who is critically ill is not just callous and cruel, but blatantly unlawful,” said Amnesty Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Program Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Soltan’s family has warned against the activist’s health condition, saying he is at risk of organ failure. His lawyer has also said prison officials transfer Soltan to the detention center’s medical unit only when he loses consciousness.

“Mohamed Soltan should not have been in jail in the first place and what he is accused of should not be a criminal offence. Now, the authorities are toying with his life in this manner,” said Sahraoui, calling for the activist’s immediate release.

Over the past days, a group of Egyptian journalists and political activists have launched a hunger strike campaign in protest at last November’s anti-demonstration law, which bans gatherings without a permit and toughens penalties on violators.

Since then, hundreds of anti-government protesters and Muslim Brotherhood supporters have been jailed for staging demonstrations.

The North African state has been the scene of massive anti-government protests with continuous clashes between security forces and supporters of former President Mohamed Morsi since his ouster in July 2013.