Laila Soueif, mother of British citizen Alaa Abdel Fattah, a writer, software developer and prominent pro-democracy activist jailed by Egypt’s authoritarian regime for most of the last ten years, will be organising regular protests outside Downing Street from 13 January.  Alaa’s case has hit the news in recent months as his family have stepped up pressure on Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his continued detention in Egypt. Laila Soueif has been on hunger strike demanding his release since 30 September and took her protest outside the Foreign Office in London before Christmas.

>> Campaigners have organised a relay of solidarity 24 hour hunger strikes – sign up here if you want to get involved: https://tally.so/r/mYoe2J  

Alaa has faced persistent persecution from the regime of Abdelfattah al-Sisi, spending years in jail deprived of contact with his young son and family. His most recent five-year prison sentence was for sharing a Facebook post about torture in Egyptian prisons. He is an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience and his case has attracted widespread support from human rights organisations, MPs, literary and cultural figures. Keir Starmer failed to raise Alaa’s case during a recent meeting with Sisi, however. Campaigners are urging Starmer to intervene directly and press for Alaa’s release.

Alaa is one of many political prisoners in Egypt – prominent current cases include cartoonist Ashraf Ibrahim, politicians such as Abdel Moneim Aboul el Foutouh, Palestine solidarity activists, campaigners who organised a protest over road safety, and trade unionists. 

What you can do: 

• Write to David Lammy and Keir Starmer urging them to intervene by calling directly on the Egyptian authorities to release Alaa
• Message your MP using the campaign tool here: https://freealaa.net/message-mp 
• Sign up for the relay solidarity hunger strike here: https://tally.so/r/mYoe2J