Laila Soueif, the mother of jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, has been hospitalised just hours before the 150th day of her hunger strike in protest of her son’s imprisonment in Egypt.
Soueif, 68, has lost nearly 30kg since starting her strike in September. She was admitted to St. Thomas’ hospital yesterday evening after her blood sugar and blood pressure dropped to dangerously low levels, her daughter said in posts on Instagram and X.
The mathematics professor has survived on herbal tea, black coffee and rehydration salts, since September 29th, after Egyptian authorities failed to free Abd el-Fattah on his scheduled release date.
Laila met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday 14th February where he gave his ‘personal commitment’ to securing Alaa’s release.
Mona Seif, Alaa Abd El Fattah’s sister, said: “We are running out of time”.
Laila’s sudden deterioration in health is incredibly worrying. It should never have come to this.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive
Pressure on Egyptian government
Laila’s hospitalisation comes after a coalition of 25 organisations yesterday, including Amnesty International called on UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to use the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) that he is currently attending as an opportunity to lead calls for the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah.
The letter – which was organised by FairSquare and signed by 25 leading human rights organisations including Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, the Egyptian Front for Human Rights and PEN International – urges the UK Foreign Secretary to make a “strong stand” by leading on a joint statement at the HRC, calling for the urgent release of Abd el-Fattah.
In the letter, the organisations note how the HRC offers an opportunity for states to “make a strong statement condemning Egypt’s ongoing repression”, adding that the Egyptian authorities continue to “crush dissent and stifle civil society, arbitrarily arresting thousands in recent years, including journalists, opposition politicians…and peaceful protesters”.
In urging the Foreign Secretary to make a stand for Abd el-Fattah’s release, the organisations say: “We remain deeply concerned that Alaa Abd el-Fattah still has not been released after completing his unjust five year prison term in September 2024, particularly given the terrible and urgent risk to the life and health of his 68-year-old mother Laila Soueif, who has been on hunger strike since then.”
The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council is taking place in Geneva from Monday 24 February to Tuesday 4 March.