Mother of a British man jailed in Egypt is forced to quit 10-month hunger strike... and now faces life-threatening condition

Daily Mail​

15-07-2025

A mother has ended a 10-month hunger strike in London after her Egyptian-British activist son was jailed in Cairo for 'spreading false news'.
Academic Laila Soueif, 69, began the protest in September 2024 when Alaa Abdel Fattah was due to be freed following a five-year-sentence - but was never released.
Her daughter, Mona Seif, confirmed yesterday Ms Soueif was now in hospital beginning a medically supervised process to reintroduce her to nutrition.
She said: 'Yesterday, my mother told me she decided to end the hunger strike and will start the necessary medical procedures with the doctors.
'We are not out of danger yet,' she said, adding doctors had warned of the risks of ending prolonged fasting, including a potentially life-threatening condition known as refeeding syndrome.
Soueif consumed sugar cubes on Sunday to symbolically mark the end of the strike, according to her other daughter, Sanaa Seif.
Abdel Fattah, 43, was a prominent figure in Egypt's 2011 uprising, and has spent most of the past decade behind bars under successive governments.
He was most recently arrested in 2019 and sentenced to five years after reposting a Facebook post about police brutality.
Abdel Fattah began a partial hunger strike in March in solidarity with his mother after she was hospitalised with dangerously low blood sugar.
He is currently consuming only herbal tea, black coffee and rehydration salts.
His sister Sanaa said last month he had lost 29 percent of his body weight during the hunger strike.
In May, a United Nations panel of experts described his detention as arbitrary and called for his immediate release.
Despite diplomatic efforts, including conversations between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, his case remains unresolved.
Since 2022, Sisi's administration has released hundreds of detainees and pardoned several high-profile dissidents, including Abdel-Fattah's lawyer, but the activist himself has been repeatedly excluded.
More than 100 parliamentarians signed a letter in May calling for Starmer to take urgent action over the case.
It gave a worrying glimpse into Ms Soueif's condition: 'We write with mounting concern about the lack of concrete progress on Alaa's case, more than two months after your call with President Sisi.
It added: 'There is also no doubt in our minds that if the health of Laila or Alaa is further damaged by this ordeal, this would have serious long-term implications for the British-Egyptian bilateral relationship'
'Time is in desperately short supply in this case. Alaa has been acutely unwell in prison, experiencing vomiting, stomach pains, dizziness and blurred vision.
'Meanwhile, Laila's health continues to deteriorate. She has not eaten proper food for more than seven months.
'Prime Minister, we remain gravely concerned about the implications for Alaa's family if the path to resolve his case and secure his release cannot be found very soon.
'There is also no doubt in our minds that if the health of Laila or Alaa is further damaged by this ordeal, this would have serious long-term implications for the British-Egyptian bilateral relationship.
'We urge you to deploy every tool at your Government's disposal at this vital stage. We offer our support to your efforts on behalf of Alaa and his family in any way needed.'