Mother of jailed British-Egyptian activist hospitalised after 242 days on starvation strike

The mom of the imprisoned British-Egyptian human rights activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has been admitted to health facility after spending greater than 240 days on starvation strike.

Laila Soueif’s circle of relatives stated she have been admitted to St Thomas’ health facility in London on Thursday evening with dangerously low blood sugar ranges, however continues to refuse scientific intervention that would offer her with energy.

Soueif has been on starvation strike for 242 days in protest towards the imprisonment of her son, who has been in prison in Egypt since September 2019.

Last week, Souief instructed the Guardian she weighed 49kg and had misplaced about 42% of her frame weight since starting the protest.

In December 2021, Abd El-Fattah was once sentenced to 5 years in jail for “spreading false news” and will have to were launched closing 12 months. His mom has now not eaten any meals since 29 September 2024, the date her son’s jail sentence was once because of finish. She have been surviving on natural tea, black espresso, rehydration salts and 300-calorie liquid dietary supplements.

She resumed her complete starvation strike on 20 May, pronouncing: “Nothing has changed, nothing is happening.”

UN investigators have declared Abd El-Fattah’s imprisonment in breach of world regulation. Earlier this 12 months, Keir Starmer promised he would “do everything I can” to make sure his unlock.

In a remark on Friday, Soueif’s circle of relatives stated she had gained glucagon remedy, which induces the liver to damage down saved fats to acquire glucose, however endured to refuse remedy that would offer her with energy.

She was once in the past admitted to health facility in February, with medical doctors pronouncing she was once at “high risk of sudden death”. In March, she agreed to transport to a partial starvation strike following a decision between Starmer and the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Abd El-Fattah has been on his personal starvation strike for 90 days since his mom’s admission to health facility in February.

Explaining her choice to renew a complete starvation strike, closing week Soueif stated: “I have never seen [the UK government] act as if the situation was urgent, except when I was hospitalised. For me and for my family the situation is urgent. We have used up more days than we ever thought we had. We need Alaa released now. We need Alaa with us now. We need Alaa reunited with his son, Khaled, now.”