Mother of jailed British Egyptian activist vows to continue hunger strike despite risk of death
Summary
Laila Soueif, the mother of British-Egyptian political prisoner Alaa Abdel Fattah, continues her hunger strike despite severe health risks, to pressure the UK government and Egypt to release her son. Alaa, who played a key role in Egypt's pro-democracy protests, is serving a prison sentence after being detained for expressing his views online.Key Facts
- Laila Soueif, aged 69, is on a hunger strike to protest her son's imprisonment in Egypt.
- Doctors warn that her health is critical, and she risks sudden death after eight months without adequate nutrition.
- She briefly consumed 300 liquid calories daily but resumed her full hunger strike on May 20, as she saw no progress in her son's case.
- Alaa Abdel Fattah, a dual British-Egyptian national, has been imprisoned mostly continuously since 2014.
- His latest five-year sentence came after sharing a Facebook post about a person dying from torture.
- The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has called for Alaa's immediate release, saying he was arrested for free speech.
- The British government and former diplomats have been pressing Egypt to release Alaa and allow consular access.
- Laila's family and supporters feel the UK government should exert more pressure on Egypt for Alaa's release.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
