This weekend the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, wrote on Twitter: 

"Having met Laila Soueif this week, my message is clear. I will do all that I can to secure the release of her son Alaa Abd el-Fattah and reunite him with his family.

We will continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government and press for his release."

This is a positive step.

Laila Soueif, Alaa's mother, has suspended her daily visits to Downing Street as a result saying: “For the moment I will stop my daily visits to Downing Street.  I'm very glad that at this stage in my hunger strike I won't have to be standing outside in the cold for an hour each day.”

Laila is today (Wednesday 19th February) on her 143rd day of her hunger strike in protest at Alaa’s continued imprisonment beyond his sentence in Egypt, which she has said she will continue until Alaa is free.

Laila has now lost 29.5kg - over 34% of her starting body weight. Her blood sugar and blood pressure readings continue to be concerningly low. The 68-year-old has consumed nothing but herbal tea, black coffee and rehydration salts since September 29th 2024.