UK – The Independent, December 12, 2024
Alaa Abd El-Fattah has spent most of the past decade in prison because of his criticism of Egypt’s rulers.
A mother on hunger strike has urged Sir Keir Starmer to help free her jailed son before she collapses and is hospitalised.
British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, 43, has been detained in Egypt since September 29 2019 and in December 2021 was sentenced to five years in prison after being accused of spreading false news.
His mother, Laila Soueif, 68, has been on hunger strike for 74 days and her protest now includes sitting outside the Foreign Office, in London, for an hour on each working day of the week.
The Free Alaa campaign said Ms Soueif will continue her action until she either hears news from Foreign Secretary David Lammy about her son or “she collapses and is hospitalised”.
The campaign added she will deliver regular notes to the Foreign Office, with her medical vitals on them, to remind Mr Lammy that “time is running out” to secure the release of Mr Abd El-Fattah.
Ms Soueif stepped up her campaigning efforts as the Foreign Office confirmed Prime Minister Sir Keir last raised the case with his Egyptian counterpart in August, with no mention made at the recent G20 summit attended by the pair.
