Mother hungry for the strike to release Alaa Abd El Fattah of the Egyptian Prison in “Risk to Life”
The mother of a closed British Egyptian activist is hospitalized and risk with a sudden death, the doctor said, because her strike hunger that she demanded her son reached 151 days.
Laila Soueif, mother of Alaa Abd El Fattah, one of the most famous political prisoners in Egypt, has survived from the end of September on water, salt for rehydration and tea without sugar and coffee to encourage release from Cairo prison, her family said.
Mrs. Soueif, 68, mathematician and professor who is also a British citizen, started their hunger strike After it became clear that Mr. Abd El Fattah, 43, who had served Five year sentenceIt will not be released as expected in September.
Last fall, she told the New York Times that she would not give up her campaign to press the British government to use her diplomatic and economic relationships with Egypt to ensure his release. “When people ask,” What do you think are you doing? “I say,” I’m creating a crisis, “she said Interview.
Mrs. Soueif lives in Cairo, but spends time in Britain during her hunger strike, and on Monday she was admitted to a hospital in London after her blood sugar and blood pressure fell to a dangerously low level.
A doctor who treated Mrs. Soueif at St. Thomas and Guy wrote that her condition is now extremely serious, letter She shared her family and supporters on social networks.
“I explained to the gravity of her condition and serious damage that would come from a permanent post,” the doctor wrote, whose name was edited from the public version of the letter. He added: “There is now a immediate risk of life, including further exacerbation or death,” and that Mrs. Soueif “is especially at a high risk of sudden death with the post.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking in parliament on Wednesday, said he would continue to raise the case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government and advocate for the release of Mr. Abda El Fattah.
“There is an incredibly difficult situation for them,” said Mr. Starmer, adding that he met his family a few days ago and “he will do everything I can to secure the edition in this case. This includes phone calls as needed.”
Mr. Abd el Fattah became a prominent voice of the Egyptian uprising 2011, which was overthrown by the authoritarian ruler of the country, Hosni Mubarak. However, the Islamist political party took power at the first democratic presidential election in Egypt, and then a widely widespread aversion to his reign made it possible for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to take advantage of power later. Since then, Mr. El-Sisi has broken into disagreement.
Mr. Abd El Fattah spent most of the last decade in prison after two earlier arrests, in 2006 for protests over the independence of the judiciary, and then in 2011 for the article critical of the Egyptian army. Again was detained from 2013 to March 2019 under the charges of organizing an illegal protest. Months later, in September 2019, he was re -arrested and sentenced to 2021 for five years for sharing Facebook post about abuse in prison.
He was supposed to be released from prison in September 2024, but Egyptian authorities said he would not count his two years of prior detention according to his punishment, all routine practice in the country. Mr. Abd El Fattah is now scheduled for release in 2027, although he and his family are afraid that he may be held indefinitely.
While in prison, he successfully signed up for British citizenship through his mother, who is a double nationals.
Has written several British legislators Letter to Mr. Starmer last month persuading him to “intensify effort throughout the Government to let Alaa urgently let go of reality.”
But pressing Egyptian authorities on individual cases can be reciprocated, according to Cairo diplomats. The British pressed consular visits with Mr. Abda El Fattah and called for release since he gained British citizenship in 2021, but they had no success. And the family of Mr. Abd El Fattah cares time.
“If Keir Starmer took the phone and spoke with President Sisi, I believe he could ensure my brother’s release and save my mother’s life,” said Sanaa Seif, younger sister Abda El Fattah, said in a statement, adding: “Every moment waiting means that my mother is more likely to die.”
