LONDON — The mother of an Egyptian pro-democracy activist currently imprisoned has been hospitalized in London during a renewed hunger strike to push for her son’s freedom, according to her family. Laila Soueif was taken to St. Thomas’s Hospital Thursday night following a dangerous drop in blood sugar levels.
Her daughter, Sanaa Soueif, expressed grave concern about her mother’s condition from outside the hospital, indicating that her mother’s health is deteriorating. She called for immediate intervention from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Laila Soueif began her hunger strike on September 29 in protest of the continued detention of her son, Alaa Abdel-Fattah, a dual British-Egyptian national. He has been jailed in Egypt since 2019 and was sentenced in December 2021 to a five-year term for allegedly spreading false news. Despite having served over two years in pre-trial detention, Egyptian authorities have extended his imprisonment until January 2027.
Soueif had spent considerable time campaigning outside the UK Foreign Office and the prime minister’s office to draw attention to her son’s plight. Her health had previously deteriorated in February when she was admitted to the hospital, where she was informed of the risk posed to her health by her ongoing hunger strike. After a pledge from Starmer to address her son’s case with Egyptian officials, she shifted to a partial hunger strike in early March. However, she resumed her full hunger strike on May 20, citing a lack of progress.
Over the 242 days of her hunger strike, the family reports that Soueif has lost a significant 42% of her bodyweight. Although she receives glucagon treatment, enabling her liver to process stored fat for glucose, she continues to abstain from glucose intake, which could provide necessary calories. Her son, Abdel-Fattah, has been on his hunger strike for 90 days since his mother was hospitalized in February.
Human rights organizations assert that thousands of opponents of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi have faced detention under inhumane circumstances following unfair trials. In response to the situation, the British government has stated that Prime Minister Starmer discussed Abdel-Fattah’s extradition in a recent call with Egypt’s president, and Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer addressed the issue with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty just days ago.
A statement from the Foreign Office acknowledged the concern regarding Laila’s medical condition and affirmed its commitment to remaining in constant communication with her and her family to check on her welfare. The office reiterated its dedication to obtaining Abdel-Fattah’s release and vowed to continue exerting diplomatic pressure on the Egyptian government to achieve this objective.