Jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is in deteriorating health after more than 50 days on a hunger strike, his family confirmed Tuesday, intensifying pressure on Egyptian authorities and the UK government to secure his release. In a letter dated April 20, Abdel Fattah told his family that he has been experiencing frequent vomiting, increasing stomach inflammation, and severe dizziness—symptoms linked to his prolonged strike and medications administered in prison. He is currently receiving treatment for suspected intestinal and gastric damage.
The 42-year-old pro-democracy figure began his latest hunger strike on March 1, in solidarity with his mother, Laila Soueif, who has been on a hunger strike since September 2024. Soueif, a London-based academic, was hospitalized in February after her blood sugar levels dropped dangerously low. She remains under medical care, surviving only on a glucose drip. “This is more than a plea—it’s a desperate alarm,” said Sanaa Seif, Abdel Fattah’s sister. “My family is running out of time. My mother and brother are risking their lives to demand Alaa’s freedom. We need urgent diplomatic action before we lose them.”
Alaa Abdel Fattah has become a global symbol of Egypt’s crackdown on dissent. A leading voice during the 2011 Arab Spring, he has spent most of the last 13 years in detention. Though sentenced to five years in 2021 for “spreading false news,” Egyptian authorities controversially excluded his time in pre-trial detention, pushing his expected release to 2027.
His repeated hunger strikes, including a high-profile one during the COP27 summit in Egypt, have drawn widespread international attention. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other advocacy groups have condemned his imprisonment and called for his immediate release. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly urged Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi to release the activist during a bilateral meeting in February. However, no breakthrough has been announced.
With Abdel Fattah’s health now rapidly declining, his family and supporters fear a looming humanitarian crisis. They are calling on the British government to escalate efforts to secure his release before it is too late.
