PM vows to help hunger strike mother to secure release of British-Egyptian son

The Prime Minister has met with a mother who has been on hunger strike for 140 days telling her he will do “all that I can” to secure the release of her jailed British-Egyptian son.

Laila Soueif has previously criticised Sir Keir Starmer for not responding to her, and says time is running out as her health worsens.

On Sunday, Sir Keir vowed to press the Egyptian government for the release of pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, 43.

Ms Soueif, 68, has been subsisting solely on black coffee, restorative salts and herbal tea during her hunger strike and has lost more than 20 kilograms in weight.

Her son has been detained in Egypt since September 29 2019, and in December 2021 was sentenced to five years in prison after being accused of spreading false news.

The Prime Minister said: “Having met Laila Soueif this week, my message is clear. I will do all that I can to secure the release of her son Alaa Abd el-Fattah and reunite him with his family.

“We will continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government and press for his release.”

In January, more than 50 cross-party MPs and peers sent a letter to Sir Keir expressing concern about Ms Soueif’s health and urging the Prime Minister to speak to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi directly by phone or in person.

“We respectfully ask you to intensify efforts across the whole of Government to make Alaa’s urgent release a reality. We are in a critical period for Laila’s health,” the letter urges.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has raised the case with officials in Cairo, and the Prime Minister has also brought it to the attention of the Egyptian president, Downing Street said previously.