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The family of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist currently imprisoned in Egypt, has expressed grave concerns about his health as well as that of his mother, Laila Soueif. Both remain on hunger strikes demanding his release.
Family members of Soueif have voiced fears for her well-being, describing her as “dying in slow motion” after enduring over eight months of full or partial fasting. “What are we supposed to do, just sit around and wait to die?” Soueif remarked, highlighting her despair.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, held in a facility near Cairo, required medical attention recently due to severe vomiting and intense stomach pains after surviving on nothing but herbal tea, black coffee, and rehydration salts for more than 55 days.
He initiated his hunger strike coinciding with his mother’s hospitalization in February, shortly after she had been on a hunger strike for nearly 150 days and received a glucose drip to sustain her life.
Soueif began her hunger strike in September 2022 when Abd el-Fattah reached the five-year mark of his prison sentence in Wadi el-Natrun. The Egyptian government imprisoned him on terrorism charges linked to a social media post about human rights abuses. They assert that his sentence will conclude in January 2027, ignoring the time served during pre-trial detention, which is typically considered in sentencing.
“Alaa commenced his hunger strike upon learning of my hospitalization. Now he finds himself sick and isolated in prison, and we were unaware of his condition until he had been unwell for a week. What further actions can we take?” questioned Soueif. She has increasingly conveyed her frustration, stating that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer seems to be disregarding calls for her son’s freedom.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah obtained British citizenship through his mother in 2021 while still incarcerated. The family had hoped that this development would enhance international pressure on Egyptian authorities for his release, as he is widely recognized as one of the most notable political prisoners in the Arab world.
Earlier this year, Soueif initiated a daily sit-in at Downing Street, emphasizing her hopes that Starmer would directly engage with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to advocate for her son’s release.
After suffering dangerously low blood sugar levels from months without proper nourishment, Soueif was hospitalized but later met with Starmer in mid-February.
In a parliamentary statement a week later, the Prime Minister assured, “I will do everything within my means to ensure justice in this case, including necessary communications. I have previously raised this issue and will continue to do so. I committed to the family that this is a priority, and I will follow through.”
Starmer had a discussion with President Sisi on February 28, during which he “pressed for Alaa’s release,” as indicated in a Downing Street report regarding their conversation.
This interaction prompted Soueif to adjust her hunger strike to a limited intake of 300 calories per day, and she was released from the hospital in early March. However, two months have passed since that conversation, with little change apparent from either the British or Egyptian governments.
“I began consuming about 300 calories daily following the Prime Minister’s discussion with President Sisi. Yet, now two months later, there has been no progress,” Soueif lamented.
A representative from the UK Foreign Office stated that “ensuring Mr. el-Fattah’s release is an absolute priority so he can reunite with his family. We are actively pursuing consular access.”
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy also communicated with his Egyptian counterpart on April 9 to reiterate this priority.
Describing Soueif’s deteriorating condition, her nephew Omar Robert Hamilton shared that her partial hunger strike has significantly affected her health. The 68-year-old activist and mathematics professor now appears frail after months of insufficient nutrition, struggling to maintain her strength.
“Three hundred calories daily is insufficient for survival; her body is consuming muscle mass,” he explained. “It’s akin to witnessing her perish slowly.”
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www.theguardian.com