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The mom of a British-Egyptian activist imprisoned in Cairo has referred to as on Boris Johnson to intervene to save lots of her son’s life as he nears his fiftieth day on starvation strike.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, 40, started refusing meals on April 2 to protest circumstances within the most safety jail the place he’s detained with out entry to studying supplies, daylight, train and consular visits.
A bunch of MPs headed by David Jones has referred to as on Overseas Secretary Liz Truss to take pressing motion to safe consular entry to Mr Abd el-Fattah and demand that Egyptian authorities launch him or enhance his jail circumstances.
Mr Abd el-Fattah’s mom says the prime minister should additionally intervene.
“Now we have acquired superb assist from the British Embassy, but it surely’s clear that my son’s life now lies in Boris Johnson and Liz Truss’ arms,” his London-born mom Laila Soueif informed the Telegraph.
“I concern for his life. I’m shocked that he will be denied consular visits from an allied nation – regardless of Britain making repeated requests for 5 months – however I nonetheless have little doubt {that a} critical intervention from the Authorities would save my son’s life,” mentioned Mrs Soueif, a arithmetic professor at Cairo College.
Mr Abd el-Fattah – one of many main figures of the 2011 Arab Spring revolt that toppled long-standing strongman Hosni Mubarak – has spent greater than eight years up to now decade in jail for his activism, having additionally been detained below succeeding presidents Mohammed Morsi and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who assumed energy in a 2013 coup.
After being held in pre-trial detention in Cairo’s infamous Tora jail since September 2019, Mr Abd el-Fattah was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in December for broadcasting false information after sharing a Fb put up about human rights abuses in Egyptian prisons.
A blogger and software program developer, Mr Abd el-Fattah obtained his British citizenship in December. He comes from a household of activists and each his mom and his sister Mona Seif have been beforehand detained for his or her activism.
The letter MPs despatched to Ms Truss on Tuesday mentioned it was crucial to acquire consular entry to Mr Abd el-Fattah throughout his detention, which has been condemned by main rights teams.
“If this case continues, we’re involved a harmful precedent will probably be set for British residents abroad and the values we uphold. In flip his case should be handled robustly,” learn the letter, signed by 25 members of Parliament and the Home of Lords.
“It is not going to be to anybody’s benefit if the lifetime of a outstanding, secular, pro-democracy determine have been to be misplaced.”
His household had hoped Mr Abd el-Fattah can be amongst these prisoners launched through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that ended on Might 1. Authorities ultimately launched simply 41 prisoners, a tiny proportion of the hundreds detained in a crackdown towards dissent ongoing because the 2013 coup.
Human Rights Watch has beforehand estimated that as much as 60,000 political prisoners are detained in Egyptian prisons, one thing denied by the nation’s president.
“I do not know the place they bought that determine. I mentioned there aren’t any political prisoners in Egypt,” President Sisi informed 60 Minutes in a 2019 interview.
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