Mother of Jailed UK-Egyptian Activist Marks 100 Days on Hunger Strike

• Laila Soueif marks 100 days of hunger strike for her jailed son
• UK criticized for inaction as Soueif protests outside the Foreign Office
• Abdel Fattah remains imprisoned despite completing his sentence

Laila Soueif, the mother of imprisoned British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, has reached her 100th day of hunger strike, drawing attention to her son’s prolonged detention.

Soueif, a 68-year-old mathematics professor, has been surviving on black coffee, herbal tea, and rehydration salts since beginning her strike on September 29.

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Her son, a prominent dissident and a central figure in Egypt’s 2011 uprising, was due for release that same day after completing a five-year sentence for “spreading false news” over a Facebook post on prison torture.

However, authorities refused to count the two years he spent in pre-trial detention toward his sentence, leaving him behind bars.

Soueif has criticized the UK government for its lack of decisive action, accusing them of prioritizing diplomatic ties with Cairo over her son’s freedom.

“The government seems to be waiting for me to be hospitalized before they act,” she said in a statement.

Abdel Fattah’s case has garnered international attention, with support from advocacy groups like Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and public figures demanding his release.

RSF UK director Fiona O’Brien called the 100-day hunger strike a “shocking indictment” of Britain’s failure to defend its citizen.

Soueif and her daughters have staged regular protests outside the Foreign Office in London, urging Foreign Secretary David Lammy to intervene.

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Lammy met with Soueif in November after facing scrutiny in Parliament over the government’s response to the case.

Abdel Fattah, 43, has spent much of the last decade in prison for his activism. While Egypt has released hundreds of political prisoners in recent years, rights groups claim thousands more have been detained during the same period, highlighting ongoing concerns about the country’s human rights record.

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