The family of Alaa Abd El Fattah calls on David Lammy to focus on his release over trade during his Egypt visit
Cairo: The family of Alaa Abd El Fattah, a British-Egyptian writer, is really pushing UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to make Alaa’s release a top priority during his trip to Egypt. They want him to focus on Alaa’s situation instead of getting caught up in trade deals.
Alaa has been stuck in a Cairo jail even after serving his sentence for dissent. His mother, Laila, is on a hunger strike in London, and her health is getting worse by the day. It’s a tough situation for the family.
They believe this is a crucial moment for Lammy to show his commitment to human rights. They even suggested he should bring Alaa back with him on the plane. The Foreign Office confirmed Lammy’s visit and said he would raise the issue of Alaa’s release again, but the family is worried he might not set any conditions for Egypt regarding business relations.
They feel that if Lammy doesn’t push hard enough, it could mean losing important leverage. The Foreign Office has been talking about how Egypt can help the UK with growth and illegal migration, which seems to be their main focus.
Lammy is set to meet with his Egyptian counterpart and thank the government for helping broker a ceasefire in Gaza. But Alaa’s sister, Sanaa Seif, is skeptical about the Foreign Office’s promises. She recalls past meetings with UK leaders who made similar assurances but didn’t follow through.
She hopes this time will be different and that Lammy will genuinely prioritize Alaa’s case. Meanwhile, Laila has been protesting outside Downing Street every morning, and her hunger strike has lasted 116 days. She’s only been taking limited fluids, and her health is declining rapidly.
During her last visit to Alaa in prison, she asked to hug him but had to talk to him through a glass window instead. Alaa’s morale is low, as he feels his detention is indefinite, even though he completed his five-year sentence last September.
He believes the authorities are not counting the two years he spent in jail before his trial as part of his sentence. Alaa first gained attention during the Arab Spring and has faced multiple imprisonments since then.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has written to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi about Alaa’s situation, but the family was upset to learn that Starmer didn’t bring it up during a recent meeting with Sisi at the G20.
Back in July 2022, Lammy, then in opposition, called for serious diplomatic consequences for Egypt if Alaa wasn’t released, labeling him a “prisoner of conscience.” He was jailed just for sharing a Facebook post that mentioned torture in prison.
Amnesty International’s chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, has urged Lammy to demand to see Alaa, emphasizing that he is a British citizen being held in Cairo.
