Dr Laila Soueif announced outside Downing Street today that she has returned to full hunger strike.

Alaa has been on full hunger strike in prison for 81 days now.

Watch it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ3_JkaIcvv/

Her statement in full:

“Today I am back here standing outside 10 Downing Street, and I am back on a full hunger strike, consuming zero calories.

Let me be clear about why I am doing this. It is not that I doubt the British government’s commitment to Alaa’s release. Nor do I want to cast doubt on Mr. Starmer’s personal interest in the plight of my family. The Prime Minister made a promise to me and to Parliament to do all he could to free Alaa. A few days ago, my daughter Mona received a truly humane letter from Mr. Starmer assuring all of my family of his continued support.

But for Alaa sitting in prison, now on hunger strike for 81 days since the 1st of March, nothing has changed.

After almost 8 months since he finished serving his latest prison sentence, after almost 8 months of my going on hunger strike to protest this continued imprisonment and draw the attention of the British, the Egyptians and the world at large to his and my family’s plight, nothing has changed, nothing is happening.

I am Alaa’s mother, we are Alaa’s family. What actually happens to Alaa is what we care about. We have used up more days than we ever thought we had. We need Alaa released now. We need Alaa with us now. We need Alaa reunited with his son Khaled now.”