Mother threatens hunger strike over son's imprisonment in Egypt

The mother of jailed activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, Laila Soueif, has threatened to go on hunger strike again next week if there is no meaningful progress on her son’s release. Laila, who is 68 years old, struggles with her health after previously protesting for 150 days. She recently collapsed and spent time in a London hospital due to her extreme fasting. During her hunger strike, which started last September, Laila only consumed herbal tea, black coffee, and rehydration salts. Doctors warned her about her critical health condition. After discussing her situation, she started receiving some nutrition and was able to stabilize her condition before leaving the hospital. Laila's determination comes as there is some hope for her son's release. Alaa is eligible for an amnesty that might be granted at the end of Ramadan on March 30. He has served more than his five-year sentence, but Egyptian authorities have not counted his earlier detention time. Laila stated that if she does not see significant changes by March 28, she will resume her hunger strike. Her daughter Sana’a noted that Laila has improved since leaving the hospital, but her health remains fragile, and information from the Foreign Office has decreased recently. Meanwhile, Alaa began his own hunger strike on February 1 in solidarity with his mother. He has made requests to meet with British diplomats, but his citizenship issue is causing delays. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed his commitment to advocating for Alaa’s release and continues to follow up on the case.