Alaa Abdel Fattah, the Egyptian-British activist imprisoned in Egypt, has begun a hunger strike in solidarity with his mother, Laila Soueif, who has been on her own hunger strike for over five months. The 41-year-old activist started refusing food on March 1, 2025, following the news of his mother’s hospitalization in London, where she has been protesting to urge the British government to secure her son’s release.
Soueif, 68, had been refusing food for more than 150 days before her health deteriorated, with dangerously low blood sugar and pressure levels. She agreed to consume 300 calories daily in liquid form after medical advice. However, Soueif remains hopeful after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent call to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, pushing for Abdel Fattah’s release.
Abdel Fattah was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly spreading false news after sharing a Facebook post about torture in Egyptian prisons. Soueif began her hunger strike in September 2024, as her son’s sentence neared completion, demanding his release.
The family’s actions are part of ongoing international efforts to gain freedom for Abdel Fattah, whose case has drawn widespread attention to human rights violations in Egypt.
