‘We are running out of time’: Family of British-Egyptian detainee Alaa Abd el-Fattah beg for action

The family of a British Egyptian prisoner who is to start a water strike during COP27 this weekend has warned that they are “running out of time” to save his life.

Alaa Abd el-Fattah, Egypt’s most prominent political prisoner, has been on a partial hunger strike since April in Cairo’s notorious Tora Maximum Security Two prison.

Now he plans to stop drinking water on Sunday November 6, as world leaders including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, travel to Sharm El Sheikh for the COP27 climate summit.

His sisters Mona and Sanaa Seif have been campaigning outside the UK Foreign Office over the last two weeks calling on the UK government to take urgent action to save their brother.

“Alaa is now in a very critical situation, “ Mona told LondonWorld outside the Foreign Office on Thursday.

“He is now on a full hunger strike and on Sunday when COP27 begins he is starting a water strike.

“This means we are running out of time.

“Once he starts a water strike the body can only sustain itself so much.

“We are talking about a few days in which either the UK government has to step up or we are going to lose Alaa in prison.”

Mr Ab el-Fattah’s imprisonment has caused uproar globally, with prominent figures including climate activist Greta Thunberg, this year’s Nobel Prize Literature winner Annie Ernaux and celebrities including Emma Thompson calling for his freedom.

The 40-year-old activist and blogger was an important figure in a pro-democracy uprising that led to the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Under the authoritarian rule of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, who came to power in 2014, he has spent most of the time in prison or police detention.

His latest five-year sentence was for allegedly "broadcasting false news".

His sister Sanaa, who finished her two week sit-in outside the Foreign Office plans to travel to Egypt for COP27 to plead with officials to save her brother.

Ms Seif, along with her sister Mona met with the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Lord Tariq Ahmed the Minister for North Africa and the Middle East this week.

“Both of them assured us that Alaa is a top priority and they are doing everything they can to secure his release before his health deteriorates,” Mona explained.

“Both of them have assured us that they are in direct contact with their Egyptian counterparts and they are raising Alaa’s issue on all possible levels.

“They’re going to make sure at COP27 and the Prime Minister’s presence there is an opportunity for them to try as much as possible to secure Alaa’s release.

“We at least have the confirmation that Alaa is a priority, that now he is fully on the mind of the UK Foreign Secretary.

“But we are concerned that maybe this is a bit late.

“We are also very concerned that there is not a concrete plan of action.”

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “The government is working hard to secure Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s release, and we continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government.

“The foreign secretary most recently raised his case when he met Egyptian foreign minister Shoukry at the UN general assembly last month.”

The family will hold a candlelit vigil outside Downing Street on Sunday November 6 from 4pm to 5pm with more than 200 candles, marking the number of days Mr Abd el-Fattah has been on hunger strike.