Latest news with #AbdelFattah
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Mother of jailed UK-Egyptian hospitalised 242 days into hunger strike
Mother of jailed Egyptian democracy activist hospitalized after resuming hunger strike (AP) LONDON: The mother of Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has been hospitalised 242 days into a hunger strike protesting her son's continued imprisonment in Egypt, her family said Thursday. Laila Soueif, 69, has been on hunger strike since September 29, 2024, the day her son was expected to be released after completing a five-year prison sentence. She resumed a full hunger strike last week after two months of easing her protest to a partial hunger strike. The academic and veteran activist was taken to a London hospital Monday with a "critically low" blood sugar level, her campaign group said in a brief statement. It is her second hospitalisation since February. Soueif's son Abdel Fattah was arrested in September 2019 and sentenced to five years for "spreading false news" after sharing a Facebook post about police brutality. A United Nations panel of experts on Wednesday determined his detention was arbitrary and illegal and called for his immediate release. Abdel Fattah, who has spent most of the past decade behind bars, has been on hunger strike himself since March 1 after learning his mother was hospitalised with dangerously low blood sugar and blood pressure, and given a glucose drip. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 노안+백내장 안보이는 답답함! 더는 방치 하지 마세요! 부산백내장노안 전문안과 더 알아보기 Undo Following her February hospitalisation, Soueif decided to ease her strike after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had pressed for her son's release in a call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. She began consuming 300 calories a day through a liquid nutritional supplement, still going without food until last week, when she returned to only consuming rehydration salts, tea without sugar and vitamins. Her family says she has lost over 40 percent of her bodyweight since September. Soueif has also since last week returned to protesting outside Downing Street for an hour every week day, demanding the British government do more to secure her son's freedom. Last week, Starmer's office again said the prime minister pressed for Abdel Fattah's release in a call with Sisi. Abdel Fattah, a 43-year-old writer and activist, has become a symbol of the plight of Egypt's political prisoners. A key figure in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, he has been detained under successive administrations since. Since 2022, Sisi's administration has released hundreds of detainees and pardoned several high-profile dissidents, including Abdel Fattah's lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer, but the activist's name has been repeatedly excluded.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Hunger-striking mum of jailed UK-Egyptian close to death: family
The mother of jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is close to death after 242 days on hunger strike, her daughter warned Friday. Laila Soueif, 69, was hospitalised Thursday in London with "critically low" blood sugar, having resumed her full hunger strike last week. Doctors gave "her proteins that help the body produce glucose", her anxious daughter Sanaa Seif said outside St Thomas hospital in London. "It worked for a couple of hours" but the "bottom line is, we're losing her, and... there is no time," Seif added, saying her mother was still refusing to accept glucose. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer "needs to act now, not tomorrow, not Monday. Now, right now," she said. "It's a miracle that we still have her, I'm really proud of her, and I want to remind Keir Starmer (of) his promise to us." Soueif's son Abdel Fattah was arrested in Egypt in September 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "spreading false news" after sharing a Facebook post about police brutality. The 43-year-old writer and activist has become a symbol of the plight of thousands of political prisoners languishing in Egyptian jails. A United Nations panel of experts on Wednesday determined his detention was arbitrary and illegal and called for his immediate release. Soueif has been on hunger strike since September 29, 2024, the day her son was expected to be released after completing his five-year prison sentence. Abdel Fattah, who has spent most of the past decade behind bars, has also been on hunger strike himself since March 1 after learning his mother had been hospitalised with dangerously low blood sugar and blood pressure. Following her February hospitalisation, Soueif decided to ease her strike after Starmer said he had pressed for her son's release in a call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. She began consuming 300 calories a day through a liquid nutritional supplement, still going without food until last week, when she returned to consuming only rehydration salts, tea without sugar and vitamins. Her family says she has lost over 40 percent of her bodyweight since September. Last week, Starmer's office again said the prime minister had pressed for Abdel Fattah's release in a call with Sisi. A key figure in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, he has been detained under successive administrations since. Soueif's daughter said she had been in contact with the UK foreign ministry. "They know she's dying. They know in detail how she's dying," she said, visibly upset. A foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP they were "concerned to hear of Laila's hospitalisation" and continued to press for Abdel Fattah's release. cla/jkb/pdh/js
France 24
4 days ago
- Health
- France 24
Hunger-striking mum of jailed UK-Egyptian close to death: family
Laila Soueif, 69, was hospitalised Thursday in London with "critically low" blood sugar, having resumed her full hunger strike last week. Doctors gave "her proteins that help the body produce glucose", her anxious daughter Sanaa Seif said outside St Thomas hospital in London. "It worked for a couple of hours" but the "bottom line is, we're losing her, and... there is no time," Seif added, saying her mother was still refusing to accept glucose. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer "needs to act now, not tomorrow, not Monday. Now, right now," she said. "It's a miracle that we still have her, I'm really proud of her, and I want to remind Keir Starmer (of) his promise to us." Soueif's son Abdel Fattah was arrested in Egypt in September 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "spreading false news" after sharing a Facebook post about police brutality. The 43-year-old writer and activist has become a symbol of the plight of thousands of political prisoners languishing in Egyptian jails. A United Nations panel of experts on Wednesday determined his detention was arbitrary and illegal and called for his immediate release. Soueif has been on hunger strike since September 29, 2024, the day her son was expected to be released after completing his five-year prison sentence. Abdel Fattah, who has spent most of the past decade behind bars, has also been on hunger strike himself since March 1 after learning his mother had been hospitalised with dangerously low blood sugar and blood pressure. Following her February hospitalisation, Soueif decided to ease her strike after Starmer said he had pressed for her son's release in a call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. She began consuming 300 calories a day through a liquid nutritional supplement, still going without food until last week, when she returned to consuming only rehydration salts, tea without sugar and vitamins. Her family says she has lost over 40 percent of her bodyweight since September. Last week, Starmer's office again said the prime minister had pressed for Abdel Fattah's release in a call with Sisi. A key figure in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, he has been detained under successive administrations since. Soueif's daughter said she had been in contact with the UK foreign ministry. "They know she's dying. They know in detail how she's dying," she said, visibly upset. A foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP they were "concerned to hear of Laila's hospitalisation" and continued to press for Abdel Fattah's release.
Middle East
19-04-2025
- Business
- Middle East
OPEN// PM visits Altawakol Group factories in 10th of Ramadan city
CAIRO, April 18 (MENA) - Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli Saturday inspected the factories of Altawakol Group for Steel Fabrication, Galvanization and Electronics Company during his tour of the 10th of Ramadan city. Earlier Saturday, Madbouli embarked on a tour of a number of factories in the 10th of Ramadan city, where he was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel el Wazir and a host of respective officials. Upon his arrival, the premier was received by Altawakol Company for Electronics CEO Sherif Abdel Fattah and Altawakol for Steel Fabrication Company CEO Shady Tawakol. Madbouli was briefed by Abdel Fattah about the company's three factories and their important role in the implementation of national projects. The factories of Altawakol Group are the galvanization factory that was inaugurated in 2019, the towers factory that opened in 2021, and the poles and high mast factory which was opened in 2023, CEO of Altawakol for Electrinics Company Abdel Fattah said. Altawakol Steel is one of the leading Egyptian companies in the field of electrical industries since its establishment in 1975, Abdel Fattah said, adding that the company is also a leader in manufacturing and supplying integrated solutions. The group hires more than 4,500 employees, with total investments exceeding EGP 7 billion, Abdel Fattah said, noting that foreign investments pumped through the group amount to 50 million dollars. Altawakol for Electronics company is a leading pioneer in manufacturing and providing integrated solutions in the electrical industries in Egypt. The company is accredited by ISO 9001 : 2015 , ISO 14001 : 2015 , ISO 45001 : 2018, ISO 50001: 2018 , EGAC-ISO 9001 : 2015, and made in Egypt certificate. At the conclusion of his visit, Madbouli posed for a photo op with engineers and workers of the factory. (MENA) A A E/M N E
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Egyptian-UK activist begins hunger strike in prison: family
Jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah began a hunger strike at the start of the month after his mother was hospitalised more than 150 days into her own hunger strike, his family said on Friday. Abdel Fattah began refusing food at the Wadi al-Natroun prison "on Saturday, March 1 after hearing news that his mother had been hospitalised" in London, where she has been on hunger strike to put pressure on the British government to secure his release. Laila Soueif, 68, eased her hunger strike on Wednesday and agreed to consume 300 calories a day in liquids, after doctors warned her blood sugar and blood pressure had dropped to dangerously low levels. Soueif said she had been given "hope" after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer phoned Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi last week to press for her son's release. Abdel Fattah was arrested in 2019 and later sentenced to five years in prison for "spreading false news" after sharing a Facebook post about alleged torture in Egyptian jails. Soueif launched her hunger strike in September last year, when her son's sentence was meant to be completed. Authorities told the family they had decided not to count his two years in pre-trial detention -- which normally counts towards jail sentences in Egypt. Abdel Fattah was last on hunger strike in 2022, when he survived on 100 calories a day for seven months, making headlines during a UN climate summit hosted by Egypt. "My family is devastated that Alaa is now on hunger strike in prison... (where) he gets very limited information while locked away," Abdel Fattah's sister Sanaa Seif said in a statement. "But I understand how desperate he feels in there, and the emotional toll he must feel while our mother is starving herself to try to get him out." Egypt's most prominent political prisoner has spent most of the past decade behind bars. Human rights groups have called on Sisi to pardon him. In 2022, Sisi relaunched a presidential pardons committee which has released a number of high-profile political prisoners, including Abdel Fattah's lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer. The government has since freed hundreds of remand prisoners. It rejects human rights group estimates that tens of thousands of political prisoners remain behind bars. bha/kir
