Hopes dashed of political prisoner’s reunion with his son in Brighton – Brighton and Hove News

Brighton: A mother’s hopes for a reunion with her son, a political prisoner in Egypt, have been crushed. Laila Soueif has been fighting for her son, Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who’s been locked up since 2019.

She’s been on a hunger strike for 117 days, desperate for change. Recently, a government official mentioned that Foreign Secretary David Lammy brought up Alaa’s case during talks in Cairo. But it feels like not much is happening.

Laila is frustrated. She reached out to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but hasn’t heard back. She believes he needs to step in and talk to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi directly.

Alaa, 43, has spent years in prison for speaking out against the government. His young son lives in Brighton, and it breaks Laila’s heart that they can’t be together. She’s worried about her health, saying her blood sugar is dropping and she feels weaker every day.

Laila’s daughter, Sanaa, is also calling for action. She wants Keir Starmer to push for her brother’s release. The family feels ignored and is pleading for help before it’s too late. They just want Alaa back home with them.