100 MPs and lords sign letter calling for action to free jailed British-Egyptian

Vigil to be held outside FCDO in support of pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah.

Sanaa Seif, the sister of writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Archive)

A letter signed by more than 100 MPs and lords is to be submitted to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly calling for fresh action to help free pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who has been incarcerated in Egypt for most of the past decade.

The mother of the 40-year-old British-Egyptian writer, mathematician Laila Soueif, will lead a vigil held by Amnesty International UK as the letter is presented to the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) on Monday.

High profile politicians including Sir Peter Bottomley, Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Lord Chris Patten are among the signatories of the petition which calls for the UK to lead on a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council and to update the FCDO’s travel advice for British visitors to Egypt.

Mr Abd El-Fattah is currently serving a five-year sentence on charges of disseminating false news for retweeting a report in 2019 that another prisoner had died in custody.

He has been carrying out hunger strikes while in custody which he intensified at the time of the Cop27 summit in Sharm el-Sheik in November 2022, during which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised his case with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

In the letter to Mr Cleverly, the supporters of the Free Alaa campaign state: “We are writing to express our concern at the lack of progress on the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, six months on from the Prime Minister’s meeting with President Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh.

“As a result, we are asking you to take the lead on a joint statement on Egypt at the UN Human Rights Council, and to update the UK’s travel advice for the country.

“You are of course aware that while the two leaders were meeting, Alaa was perilously close to death, collapsing just days later.

“Since he chose to end his hunger and water strike, he has remained imprisoned in his cell and has still not received a single visit from a consular official, despite repeated commitments to Alaa’s family from British ministers and officials that they are doing everything they can.

“Private lobbying of the Egyptian government, even at the highest levels, is yet to deliver results.

“This calls for fresh approaches that draw on traditional British strengths of international diplomacy. The Human Rights Council presents a key opportunity for the UK to lead on a joint statement.”

The letter also calls on the UK travel advice to follow that given by the US which warns that foreign nationals are not protected from “prolonged interrogations and extended detention” and its embassy is not always kept informed of their circumstances.

The protest on Monday has been timed to mark the 10th anniversary of President El-Sisi’s military coup in Egypt during which time Mr Abd El-Fattah has been imprisoned for all but a few months.

His supporters also highlight that it has been 18 months since the British embassy in Cairo has been given access to him in prison.