Hunger-striking mother of jailed UK-Egyptian activist on glucose drip
An Egyptian-British mother on hunger strike in protest against the detention of her activist son in Cairo has been given a glucose drip after being hospitalised in London, a campaign group said on Friday.
Laila Soueif, 68, has been on hunger strike for 152 days and was admitted to London's St Thomas's Hospital late on Monday due to "dangerously new lows" in her blood sugar and sodium levels, as well as her blood pressure.
She had previously turned down artificial glucose, despite being warned there was an "immediate risk to life", but agreed at the request of her daughters Sanaa and Mona to take one dose "in an effort to extend her life", campaign group Free Alaa said in a press release.
Soueif has lived on only coffee, tea and rehydration sachets since September 29, 2024, the date that marked five years in detention for her son Alaa Abdel Fattah.
Fattah, 43, a pro-democracy and rights campaigner, was arrested by Egyptian authorities in September 2019 and later given a five-year sentence for "spreading false news".
His family criticised his trial as a "farce" and has demanded he be released having completed his sentence.
Soueif started the drip on Thursday and the dose was given to her over the course of 12 hours "due to the dangers of the intervention at this stage in her hunger strike", said the campaign group.
"Doctors at the hospital have stressed that this is a temporary intervention, that they cannot guarantee it will extend Laila's life, and that if it does it will be for a limited time, possibly only a few hours, and if lucky a few days," they added.
Soueif has lost almost 30 kilograms (66 pounds) since starting her hunger strike, which she has vowed to continue until her son is released.
For weeks, Soueif braved London's bitter cold to demonstrate outside Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Downing Street office each working day since the date she says her son should have been released.
Sanaa Seif called on Starmer to take urgent action.
"When we met Keir Starmer he asked us for more time and promised that he would do all he could to free my brother," she said.
"I don't think we'll be able to convince mum to do this again. So we desperately urge the prime minister to use this time well," she added.
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