The family of a British-Egyptian writer, Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who has been imprisoned in Egypt since September 2019, is calling on the UK Government to step up efforts to secure his release. El-Fattah was sentenced to five years in prison in December 2021 for allegedly spreading false news, a charge his family denies. His mother, Laila Soueif, has been on a hunger strike for 23 days in protest against his continued detention. She has travelled from Cairo to London to meet with MPs and ministers to seek their help in advocating for her son’s release.
El-Fattah, a pro-democracy writer, has faced repeated periods of imprisonment over the past decade due to his criticism of Egypt’s government. His family, along with supporters, are urging the UK Government to explore diplomatic and economic measures to assist in his release. They suggest using trade negotiations as leverage, revising travel advice to Egypt to warn about limited consular access, and seeking support from international allies.
Laila Soueif highlighted the UK’s responsibility as a friend of Egypt to push for El-Fattah’s release, emphasising that the British Government’s inaction could be seen as complicity in his ongoing detention. El-Fattah’s cousin, filmmaker Omar Robert Hamilton, expressed hope that the new Labour Government would take a more robust stance on the case. The family remains optimistic that with concerted efforts, El-Fattah’s release can be achieved without causing disruptions in international relations.
Soueif’s daughter, Sanaa Seif, criticised the UK Government for not taking sufficient action, despite her mother’s hunger strike drawing attention to the urgency of the situation. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer assured that El-Fattah’s case is a priority, and efforts are being made to secure his release expeditiously.
The family’s campaign for El-Fattah’s freedom underscores the challenges faced by dual nationals like him, caught between the jurisdictions of two countries. As they continue to push for his release, they hope for a proactive and effective response from the UK Government to bring him back home.