British PM Vows To Help Mother On Hunger Strike

Leila Soueif holds a banner, she has been on hunger strike for more than 129 days seeking the release of her son Alaa Abdel Fattah from prison in Egypt, outside Downing Street in London, Wednesday, Fe

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to advocate for the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British-Egyptian dual national who has been imprisoned in Egypt for over five years. Starmer met with Laila Soueif, Abd el-Fattah's mother, who has been on a hunger strike for 140 days in protest of her son's detention.

Abd el-Fattah, a prominent pro-democracy activist, was arrested in 2019 for allegedly 'spreading false news' on social media. His most recent offense was simply 'liking' a Facebook post that described torture in Egyptian prisons. Despite being eligible for release in September 2021, Egyptian authorities extended his detention until 2027.