Mother of noted Egyptian political prisoner on hunger strike

Laila Soueif, the mother of Alaa Abdel Fattah, a prominent Egyptian pro-democracy activist who has spent much of the last decade in prison, has been on a hunger strike for over three weeks, according to the BBC.

She is surviving only on water, rehydration salts, and unsweetened coffee and tea.

“I’m keeping it up until Alaa is free or I’m taken to hospital in a terrible state,” she told the BBC. “His life has been on hold for 11 years. It can’t go on.”

Alaa Abdel Fattah was initially detained in 2014, accused of organizing an unauthorized protest. After serving his sentence, he was arrested again during the 2019 mass protests calling for the removal of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He was convicted of "spreading fake news" after sharing a Facebook post on torture in Egypt and sentenced to five years in prison. Although he was due to be released on September 29th, Egyptian authorities have delayed his release, arguing that his two years in pre-trial detention should not be counted towards his sentence.

In 2021, Fattah obtained British citizenship through his UK-born mother. However, reports indicate that Egyptian authorities have restricted him from accessing consular services.

Soueif expressed her disappointment with the UK government's efforts to secure her son's release but admitted she was not surprised. 

"I'm not a fool. I don't expect the government to ruin billions of dollars' worth of trade deals for my son," she remarked to the BBC.

A spokesperson from the UK Foreign Office told the BBC, "Our priority remains securing consular access to Mr. El-Fattah and his release. We continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government."