The Prime Minister has been pressed to secure the release of a jailed British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist, amid concerns over his mother’s “failing” health. 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, who is on hunger strike, was taken to St Thomas’ Hospital in central London on Monday evening where she faces an “immediate risk to life”, according to her doctor. In the Commons, independent MP John McDonnell urged Sir Keir Starmer to contact Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in order to “save” Mr Abd El-Fattah and his mother’s life.
Sir Keir said he would do everything he can to ensure Mr Abd El-Fattah’s release, during Prime Minister’s Questions. The Free Alaa campaign had also called on Sir Keir to pick up the phone and call the Egyptian president “before it’s too late”.
Mr McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington, said: “I thank the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary for their efforts to secure the release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah, the human rights campaigner, the British human rights campaigner, who has been imprisoned in Egypt now for over 10 years.
“The Prime Minister will know, because he’s met the family, that his mother is on the 150th day of her hunger strike, and her health is failing rapidly. “Could I ask the Prime Minister to pick up the phone to President Sisi and seek the release of Alaa to save his life, also that of his mother’s?”.
Sir Keir replied: “I thank him for raising this really important case, and as he says, I did meet the mother and the family just a few days ago, and it is an incredibly difficult situation for them. “And I can assure him, I will do everything I can to ensure the release in this case, and that includes phone calls as necessary. I’ve raised it before, I’ll raise it again, we’ve raised it, and will continue to do so.
“I gave my word to the family that that’s what … I will do, and I will.”. Ms Soueif has been subsisting solely on black coffee, restorative salts and herbal tea during her hunger strike and has lost more than 20 kilograms (about three stone) in weight.
On Monday, she was admitted to hospital after her blood sugar levels, blood pressure and sodium levels recorded “dangerously new lows”, the campaign said. It added that Ms Soueif is not taking glucose treatment as a result of her protest action. She was put on a saline drip due to the low sodium readings and the hospital is continuing to monitor her.
