On Egypt’s Unjust Incarceration Of The Writer Alaa Abd El-fattah, And The Hunger Strike Of Dr. Laila Soueif

Is location a much high-profile governmental captive successful Egypt than British-Egyptian writer and package developer Alaa Abd el-Fattah?

In my domiciled arsenic President of English PEN, I spot increasing world outrage astatine nan injustice of his case, and carnivore witnesser to nan respect and support for Alaa and his bonzer family and writing.

Last year, English PEN was honored to sanction Alaa arsenic our Writer of Courage, selected for nan grant by nan victor of nan 2024 PEN Pinter Prize, writer Arundhati Roy.

Joining america connected that nighttime were galore members of Alaa’s family—including his sisters Mona and Sanaa, his young boy Khaled, and his aunt, nan novelist Ahdaf Soueif, pinch whom my literate interactions span years.

He should person been celebrating his long-overdue merchandise pinch his loved ones. Instead, he continued to beryllium held successful Wadi al-Natrun prison, successful usurpation of world law.

That night, Alaa was conspicuous successful his absence.

Arundhati began her acceptance reside by addressing him directly, despite—or to spite—the miles and nan walls of prisons betwixt them:

My greetings to you, Alaa Abd el-Fattah, writer of courageousness and my chap awardee. We hoped and prayed that you would beryllium released successful September, but nan Egyptian authorities decided that you were excessively beautiful a writer and excessively vulnerable a philosopher to beryllium freed yet. But you are present successful this room pinch us. You are nan astir important personification here. From situation you wrote, “[M]y words mislaid immoderate powerfulness and yet they continued to move retired of me. I still had a voice, moreover if only a fistful would listen.” We are listening, Alaa. Closely.

Two weeks earlier, connected September 29, 2024, Alaa had completed his latest cruel situation condemnation successful Egypt. He had served his afloat five-year term. He should person been pinch america successful personification to judge nan award. He should person been celebrating his long-overdue merchandise pinch his loved ones. Instead, he continued to beryllium held successful Wadi al-Natrun prison, successful usurpation of world law.

She would consequence her life successful nan dream of yet seeing him reunited pinch her grandson Khaled. She would not backmost down.

The time nan Egyptian authorities grounded to merchandise Alaa, his mother, nan formidable Dr. Laila Soueif, announced a determination that could beryllium to beryllium some life-changing and life-threatening. She would spell connected an indefinite hunger onslaught to unit nan UK authorities to unafraid her son’s release. She would consequence her life successful nan dream of yet seeing him reunited pinch her grandson Khaled. She would not backmost down.

For months, Laila has continued her strike. She paid regular visits to Downing Street to proceed calling connected nan Prime Minister to do everything imaginable to free Alaa. Most days, she was joined by a varied group of supporters—family, friends, parliamentarians, NGO representatives, and advocates from crossed nan globe. The calls for urgent action grew louder and louder.

Yet it was not until Laila was first admitted to infirmary successful February 2025 that nan Prime Minister called President Sisi to talk her son’s release. Following that call, Laila agreed to move to a partial hunger onslaught of 300 calories a day, to let much clip for negotiations.

On learning that his mother had been hospitalized, Alaa began a hunger onslaught successful prison.

Due to a deficiency of immoderate actual advancement successful nan months since, Laila resumed her afloat onslaught connected May 20, 2025, stating:

I consciousness successful my bosom that erstwhile I moved to a partial hunger strike, nan urgency was taken retired of nan situation.

Later that week, we erstwhile again gathered adjacent Downing Street where, together pinch chap writers and activists, we publication passages from Alaa’s book You Have Not Yet Been Defeated, for which Naomi Klein wrote a foreword, successful solidarity pinch him and his family.

Though physically fragile, she remained, arsenic ever, resolute.

Laila watched connected arsenic we shared her son’s words—incisive, determined, urgent. An excerpt, publication by character and activistic Juliet Stevenson, states:

From my mother I inherited […] a emotion that penetrates nan walls of prisons.

As nan evening drew to a close, Laila warmly thanked those who had gathered to stock and perceive to her son’s writing, and to proceed calling for his release. Though physically fragile, she remained, arsenic ever, resolute.

A week later, connected May 29, Laila was re-admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital successful London. I joined a moving candlelit vigil outside, alongside nan statue of Mary Seacole. The vigils person continued each evening since and are besides taking spot astir nan world—from Paris to Damascus, from Trieste to Tunis.

This world solidarity intends nan world to Laila, but it is not capable to free her son.

Following her hospitalization, Prime Minister Keir Starmer was again moved to telephone President Sisi, and yet location has been small motion of immoderate important progress.

Alaa’s family, campaigners, and parliamentarians are urging nan UK authorities to return much actual and decisive action—to deploy caller and different tools, including amending FCDO recreation proposal for Egypt and considering sanctions connected those responsible for Alaa’s unlawful incarceration.

The UK can, and must, put genuine unit connected nan Egyptian authorities to resoluteness nan situation. And they must do truthful now—to guarantee that Alaa is free, and that this bonzer family’s emotion for 1 different nary longer needs to penetrate nan walls of prisons.