UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to release imprisoned British citizen and activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah. Fattah has been in jail since 2019, and his family, including his mother who is on a hunger strike, is demanding his release. Starmer has discussed Fattah’s case with Sisi and met with his family to express support.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to release British activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who has been imprisoned in Cairo since 2019. Downing Street confirmed that Starmer addressed Fattah’s case during a recent phone call with President Sisi, emphasizing the need for his release. Starmer previously met with Fattah’s mother, Laila Soueif, to discuss the situation concerning her son.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah, 43, is a well-known pro-democracy advocate who was arrested in September 2019 and sentenced to five years for allegedly “spreading false news.” Fattah played a significant role in Egypt’s 2011 revolution and obtained British citizenship in 2022, following the nationality of his British-born mother. His family has denounced his trial as unjust and is demanding his prompt release, asserting that he has already served his sentence.
Laila Soueif, aged 68, has been participating in a hunger strike for 152 days to protest her son’s imprisonment. Recently, she was hospitalized in London due to alarming low blood sugar and sodium levels. Despite medical warnings of critical health risks, Soueif reluctantly accepted a glucose drip at her daughter’s urging to prolong her life, though doctors have stated that this measure is only temporary and her survival is uncertain.
Over the course of her hunger strike, Soueif has lost nearly 30 kilograms (66 pounds) and remains resolute in continuing her protest until her son is released. In addition to her hunger strike, she consistently demonstrates outside Mr. Starmer’s office in London, advocating for Fattah’s freedom.
Sanaa Seif, Fattah’s sister, has called on Prime Minister Starmer to take immediate action, stressing that this might be one of the final opportunities to motivate their mother to sustain her protest. She implores the Prime Minister to maximize his efforts to secure her brother’s liberty in this critical moment.
In summary, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is actively advocating for the release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a British citizen imprisoned in Egypt. The circumstances surrounding Fattah’s imprisonment have prompted significant concern from his family, particularly his mother, who is undertaking a hunger strike. Starmer’s engagement with both President Sisi and Fattah’s family reflects the urgency of the situation and underscores the calls for immediate action to secure Fattah’s release.
Original Source: newscentral.africa
