Mother of jailed British Egyptian activist vows to continue hunger strike despite risk of death

Laila Sweif’s body became weaker and weaker.

Doctors have warned her that – eight months after hunger – is now at risk of sudden death.

But the strength of its determination was not diminished at all.

Speaking to the BBC of St. Thomas Hospital in London, 69 -year -old British Egyptian mathematician professor is “enthusiastically” she wants to live.

But she told the program today that she was ready to die if this was what it takes to obtain her son Alaa Abdel -Fateh – the most prominent political diocese of Egypt – from prison in Cairo.

Prime Minister Sir Kerr Starmer and his government called for a way to make Egypt to release him, and she says she believes that she has “no other option” except to continue to reject calories.

Alaa Abdel -Fateh – a British and Egyptian citizen – also played a prominent role in pro -democracy protests in Egypt in 2011 and was in prison almost continuously since 2014.

His last penalty was imposed over five years after participating in a Facebook post about a prisoner who dies after torture.

Laila Suef went on the hunger strike in September 2024 – when her son’s punishment should have ended.

The Egyptian authorities refused to count more than two years before the trial in his time. His family fears that he is used to put an example, and they will never be released.

His mother says: “He ended his punishment for God. It was an unfair punishment by the Kangaroo Court.” “It should have been outside this prison on September 29.”

For several months, I only consumed herbal tea, black salts and burgundy salts. In the hospital in February, she agreed to consume 300 liquid calories a day, after Prime Minister Abdel Fahia Al -Sisi called for the liberation of her son.

But on May 20, she resumed its full strike, saying that no progress was made.

Laila Suef was transferred to the hospital last Thursday and was given Glucagon, a hormone used to treat severe blood sugar.

It takes the electrolytes intravenously. But she currently refuses to treat glucose. During the weekend, its glucose levels decreased so low that it cannot be discovered, according to her family.

“No one understands how she is still conscious,” her daughter SANA Saif told me. “It is very frightening.”

She says her mother now feels that she is dying.

“She talks to us about life after her departure. She started doing her farewell.”

Last week, the United Nations Labor group concerned with arbitrary detention – an independent human rights committee – said Alaa Abdel -Fita to exercise his right to freedom of expression and called for his immediate release.

But Egypt – an important ally of the United Kingdom – did not even allow the British embassy to visit it.

Representatives from his family joined the UK government to do more to pressure Egypt on Egypt from the group of all the parliamentary party on arbitrary detention and former British ambassador to Egypt, John Casson.

During his opposition, Foreign Minister David Lami called on Egypt to confront “dangerous diplomatic consequences” if the UK did not give immediate access to consular, and Alaa Abdel Fah commented.

“I don’t think the government is strong enough,” says Sana Saif. “Alaa must be outside the prison and outside the country. He needs to be in Brighton with his son Khaled.”

She says that she is inspired by her mother’s strength and was happy that her hunger strike drew attention to the ordeal of tens of thousands of political prisoners estimated in Egypt – as well as the problems facing British citizens when they are detained abroad.

“I am really truly proud of my mother. I am afraid of that. I am angry at the government, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because they lost a lot of time.”

The Foreign Ministry says it is committed to securing the release of Alaa Abdel -Fateh.

A spokesman for “the Foreign Minister stressed the urgency of the situation in a call with his counterpart on Sunday morning, and further participation in the highest levels of the Egyptian government.”

Officials say the Prime Minister spoke to President Sisi on May 22 and again to pressure his release.

When I was asked about her message if she did not survive, Laila Suef replied: “My message is: I use my death as a lever to remove Alaa.”