Egypt – Mada Masr, December 04, 2024
The family of imprisoned political activist and writer Alaa Abd El Fattah submitted a request for a presidential pardon earlier this week, the family’s lawyer, Khaled Ali, told Mada Masr.
The request was delivered to the presidency through a group of prominent political figures.
The request, signed by Abd El Fattah’s sisters, Mona and Sanaa, comes amid growing concerns for the health of their mother Laila Soueif, 68, who has been on a total hunger strike for over two months, Ali said.
Soueif is protesting her son’s continued detention. Abd El Fattah was due to be released on September 29, having completed his five year sentence.
Abd El Fattah’s sisters fear the elongation of their mother’s hunger strike could cause her to suffer serious health complications.
Soueif announced her hunger strike in early October, condemning what she called the “Egyptian authorities’ crime” against her son, who holds dual Egyptian and British citizenship. She described his detention as unlawful, stating he is effectively being “kidnapped.”
