Mother of jailed Egyptian-UK activist ends 10-month hunger strike, family says
Laila Soueif was protesting against the continued imprisonment of her son Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is accused of ‘spreading false news’
Egyptian academic Laila Soueif has ended a 10-month hunger strike protesting against the continuing imprisonment of her son, activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, her family said on Monday.
Soueif, 69, began the strike in September 2024 when Abdel Fattah, an Egyptian-British dual national, was due to be freed after serving five years in prison for “spreading false news” but was never released.
Her daughter, Mona Seif, said Soueif was now in hospital beginning a medically supervised process to reintroduce her to nutrition.
“Yesterday, my mother told me she decided to end the hunger strike and will start the necessary medical procedures with the doctors,” Seif wrote on social media.
“We are not out of danger yet,” she said, adding that doctors had warned of the risks of ending prolonged fasting, including a potentially life-threatening condition known as refeeding syndrome.
Soueif consumed sugar cubes on Sunday to symbolically mark the end of the strike, according to her other daughter, Sanaa Seif.
