Latest news with #Abdel-Fattah
Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Alaa Abd el-Fattah's mother at risk of ‘sudden death', doctor says
The mother of British-Egyptian prisoner Alaa Abd el-Fattah is facing the risk of 'sudden death' as her blood sugar level falls to dangerously low levels on the 244th day of her hunger strike. Laila Soueif, who began her hunger strike in protest at her son's continued imprisonment by the Egyptian authorities, was warned by doctors on Friday that even a 'slight further reduction' in her blood sugar could result in a 'rapid loss of consciousness' and 'sudden death'. Abd el-Fattah was a key figure in the 2011 Egyptian revolution that ousted then-president Hosni Mubarak and has spent the best part of a decade behind bars. On 29 September 2024, Abd el-Fattah was due to complete a five-year sentence for 'spreading false news', but the authorities failed to release him, refusing to count the two years he spent in pre-trial detention towards his sentence. Sine then, Soueif has not consumed any food. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Medical tests conducted at hospital revealed that Soueif's blood sugar dropped below 0.6 mmol/L on Thursday night – a level too low to be accurately measured. At the same time, her ketone levels, which indicate blood acidity, exceeded 7 mmol/L, suggesting a degree of acidosis that is also beyond the limits of medical detection. Since beginning her strike, the 69-year-old has lost 36kg – approximately 42 percent of her body weight – and now weighs just 49kg. Soueif's doctor has described her condition as a 'medical emergency' and warned that her death is an 'immediate risk'. The doctor added that, without urgent glucose treatment, she faces a 'clear risk' of irreversible damage to vital organs, including the heart, brain, and kidneys. The doctor further explained that Soueif's current blood sugar level is 'not typically compatible with consciousness,' and that her 'body's carbohydrate stores are essentially depleted'. They added that her body is now relying on its last reserves of fat to survive. 'We're losing her' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has repeatedly expressed his personal commitment to securing the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah. Soueif shifted to a partial hunger strike on 28 February, following a call between Starmer and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, during which the prime minister reportedly 'pressed' Sisi to release Abd el-Fattah. But little has shifted since then. On 20 May, Soueif announced she would be stopping her intake of 300 calories a day. However, little progress has been made since. On 20 May, Soueif announced that she would cease consuming the 300 calories per day she had been allowing herself. 'Bottom line is we're losing her… there is no time. Keir Starmer needs to act now. Not tomorrow, not Monday. Now. Right now,' Soueif's daughter Sanaa Seif said in a press briefing outside St Thomas's hospital in London. 'It's a miracle that last night passed. It's a miracle that we still have her. I'm really, really proud of my Mum. And I want to remind Keir Starmer of his promise to us. We put our faith in him. Don't let us down, do something and do it today. Now.' Meanwhile, Abd el-Fattah has now reached the 92nd day of his own hunger strike from Wadi El-Natrun prison. On 12 April, he fell seriously ill, experiencing vomiting, severe stomach pain and dizziness. On Wednesday, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) concluded that Abd el-Fattah's continued imprisonment is unlawful, and that he should be released immediately under international law.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
UN panel says Egyptian dissident illegally detained, urges release
A UN panel of independent human rights investigators said that prominent Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah is illegally detained by Egyptian authorities and urged the government to release him immediately, his family said on Wednesday. Abdel-Fattah, a key figure in Egypt's 2011 anti-government uprising, was expected to be released from prison after his sentence ended in September, but he remains in custody in Egypt. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) said that Abdel-Fattah is arbitrarily detained and that Egyptian authorities have an obligation to release him immediately under international law, according to a legal opinion shared with his lawyers. The panel, which consists of five independent rights experts, "concluded that Alaa's continued imprisonment is arbitrary and illegal." "The UN Working Group has delivered a clear and unequivocal decision: Alaa Abdel-Fattah's detention is arbitrary and in breach of international law. Egypt is now obligated to release Alaa immediately," his lawyer, Can Yeğinsu, said in a statement. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomed the panel's decision and urged Egypt to respect it without further delay. Abdel-Fattah has been on hunger strike for nearly three months. His mother, Laila Soueif, has also been on hunger strike since September 29, the date his prison sentence was due to end. In 2013, Abdel-Fattah was arrested while protesting and jailed for five years. Months after his release, he was arrested again and sentenced to another five years in prison on charges of spreading fake news, an accusation his family dismisses as politically motivated. Egypt's rights record under incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi has drawn international criticism amid a crackdown on dissidents.
Middle East Eye
6 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UN panel rules Alaa Abd el-Fattah's detention illegal under international law
A UN panel of independent human rights experts has found that the continued detention of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah is illegal under international law, and has demanded his immediate release. In a landmark ruling, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) concluded that Abd el-Fattah is being held arbitrarily by the Egyptian authorities and should therefore be released immediately under international law. Abd el-Fattah, a key figure in the 2011 Egyptian revolution that ousted then-president Hosni Mubarak, has spent the best part of a decade behind bars. On 29 September, Abd el-Fattah was due to complete a five-year sentence for 'spreading false news', but the authorities failed to release him, refusing to count the two years he spent in pre-trial detention towards his sentence. UNWGAD found that Abd el-Fattah's continued imprisonment is illegal on several grounds, including the lack of a warrant at the time of his arrest and lack of explanation of the reasons for his arrest. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Additionally, it cited the fact that he was arrested for exercising his freedom of expression, and the discriminatory nature of his detention, which was based on his political views, as violations of his fundamental rights and freedoms under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The working group demanded that the Egyptian authorities 'take the steps necessary to remedy the situation of Mr Abd el-Fattah without delay', which they said should include his immediate release and the payment of compensation. The panel has set a six month deadline for the Egyptian authorities to release Abd el-Fattah and investigate the violations of his rights. It further demanded that the Egyptian government implement legislative amendments to ensure the country's laws conform to its international obligations. Cannot be allowed to stand Abd el-Fattah's cousin and lead campaigner Omar Hamilton said that the ruling is grounds for the UK government to take Egypt to the International Court of Justice for breach of the Vienna Convention. 'For too long now the Egyptian regime has withheld access to a British citizen that they are holding illegally and it cannot be allowed to stand,' he said in a statement. The UNWGAD ruling comes days after a second call between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in which Starmer 'pressed for the urgent release of British national Alaa Abd El-Fattah so that he can be reunited with his family'. Egypt prison deaths a 'warning sign' as conditions deteriorate sharply Read More » Starmer had previously spoken to Sisi on 28 February, but there has been little movement since then. On 21 May, Starmer said at Prime Minister's Questions, in response to a question by John McDonnell MP, that he had given Abd El-Fattah's mother, Laila Soueif, his "commitment to do everything I possibly can. I have had a number of contacts myself but I'm not going to stop doing everything within my power to secure release.' With Soueif in the 241st day of her hunger strike to demand her son's release, the clock is ticking. Soueif began her strike on 29 September 2024, the date Abd el-Fattah's five-year sentence was due to end, to protest against inaction by the UK and Egyptian authorities to secure his release. After the phone call between Starmer and Sisi on 28 February, she moved to a partial hunger strike, taking a daily 300-calorie liquid nutritional supplement. But, with little else shifting over the course of three months, Soueif announced last week that she was resuming her full hunger strike. Abd el-Fattah began his own hunger strike from Wadi El-Natrun prison 89 days ago. He fell ill with vomiting, severe stomach pains and dizziness on 12 April.
Middle East Eye
22-04-2025
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Alaa Abd el-Fattah falls ill after marking 50 days of hunger strike
British-Egyptian prisoner and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has fallen ill after marking 50 days of a hunger strike, his family have reported. Abd el-Fattah, who launched a hunger strike on 1 March at Egypt's Wadi al-Natroun prison, is receiving treatment after he suffered multiple bouts of vomiting on Saturday. He had been subsisting on herbal tea, black coffee and rehydration salts since he heard that his mother Laila Soueif had been hospitalised in London. Soueif launched her own hunger strike on 29 September to protest the UK government's inaction over her son's continued imprisonment. In a letter to his family, Abd el-Fattah reported two bouts of vomiting on 12 and 16 April, as well as 'severe stomach pains' and feeling 'very unwell' on 17 April. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters According to the Free Alaa Campaign, doctors have prescribed him medicines to stop the vomiting and protect his stomach from high acidity and ulcers. They added that the doctors are uncertain about the cause of Abd el-Fattah's illness but are treating him on the basis that he may have chronic inflammation of the oesophagus or the pylorus in the stomach. They also suggested that his hunger strike is affecting his intestines in a way that is causing reflux. 'We are all so exhausted' Meanwhile, Soueif has shifted to a partial hunger strike of 300 calories a day after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer phoned Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and 'pressed' for her son's release on 28 February. Soueif was hospitalised on 24 February due to dangerously low blood sugar, blood pressure and sodium levels. Egypt prison deaths a 'warning sign' as conditions deteriorate sharply Read More » She was discharged on 7 March but wrote to Starmer warning him that she would resume a full hunger strike if she did not soon see a 'dramatic change' in her son's case. 'We are all so exhausted. My mum and my brother are literally putting their bodies on the line, just to give Alaa the freedom he deserves,' Abd el-Fattah's sister Sanaa Seif said in a statement. 'Their health is so precarious, I'm always afraid that we are on the verge of a tragedy. We need Keir Starmer to do all he can to bring Alaa home to us'. Abd el-Fattah, a key figure in the 2011 Egyptian revolution that ousted then-President Hosni Mubarak, has spent the best part of a decade behind bars. On 29 September, Abd el-Fattah was due to complete a five-year sentence for 'spreading false news', but the authorities failed to release him, refusing to count the two years he spent in pre-trial detention towards his sentence. On 26 February, Starmer told parliament in response to a question from MP John McDonnell: '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 raise it, and will continue to do so. I gave my word to the family that that's what I'd do. That I will do, and I will'.
The Guardian
27-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
ARC suspends $870,000 grant to pro-Palestine academic Randa Abdel-Fattah, senators told
A prominent academic and Palestinian advocate has had her $870,000 grant suspended after the education minister requested the board of the Australian Research Council (ARC) investigate her fellowship. Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, the recipient of an ARC Future Fellowship and an academic at Macquarie University, has faced sustained criticism from the Coalition, some Jewish bodies and media outlets for controversial comments on Israel, including alleging Zionists had 'no claim or right to cultural safety'. Abdel-Fattah's project, which was awarded funding by the ARC in 2022, was commissioned to research Arab and Muslim-Australian social movements. On 31 January, the education minister, Jason Clare, wrote to the ARC board requesting they investigate her research grant as a 'matter of priority', expressing concerns over her speech at an anti-racism symposium headed by the Queensland University of Technology's Carumba Institute. During her speech, Abdel-Fattah said 'I look to ways to bend the rules, and I subvert them', revealing she had refused an ARC requirement to hold an academic conference as a condition of her grant, instead inviting women to contribute revolutionary quotes. The chair of the ARC, Prof Peter Shergold AC, confirmed at Senate estimates on Thursday evening that the grant had been suspended pending further investigation. It was now up to Macquarie University to provide evidence that the grant had been managed appropriately. Shergold said the ARC had begun to look into the case before the education minister's correspondence or articles in media outlets, and said the ARC had been engaging with Macquarie University 'for a year' on the academic. 'The ARC, every year, investigates 10, a dozen, sometimes more, grants to make sure they are administered appropriately by the university that is responsible,' he said. 'This is not an issue about freedom of speech … it's about the acquittal of public funds.' The Greens deputy leader and spokesperson for higher education, Mehreen Faruqi, questioned the education department at estimates about why Clare had requested the intervention of the ARC after introducing reforms last year to end the days of 'political interference' in the council. Faruqi argued his request was 'based on allegations in the racist Murdoch media'. 'As a brown Muslim woman who was an academic in a previous life I find it deeply, deeply disturbing for a white education minister to lead the charge against Dr Abdel-Fattah, an Arab woman, and for what?' she said. 'For the crime of speaking at an anti-racist conference.' The assistant minister for education, Anthony Chisholm, replied that the minister was motivated to write to the ARC because Abdel-Fattah had said at the anti-racism conference that she was 'bending the rules of the grant'. 'That is something the minister thought needed to be clarified,' he said. 'I'm sure he would want to make sure that the integrity of the ARC is maintained.' Pressed at estimates by Faruqi about why the ARC had suspended the grant, which she labelled as 'legitimise[ing] an article in the Australian', Shergold said he was 'bewildered'. 'If your job is on behalf of government, to administer public moneys, and … it's brought to my attention a significant allegation that money is being misused, the first thing that I will do is have an investigation,' he said. 'I haven't prejudged this case … we talk to universities about where grants are being spent under the purposes that were intended … it is not unusual.' The shadow minister for education, Sarah Henderson, welcomed the suspension of Abdel-Fattah's grant, which she had been lobbying for over the past 10 months. 'It is only after sustained pressure from the Coalition and Jewish organisations, coupled with revelations in The Australian, that Minister Clare finally asked the ARC to investigate,' she said in a statement. 'We need strong action to ensure Jewish students and staff feel safe and supported at all times.'
