Alaa-Abdel Fattah: James Cleverly urged to secure release of British citizen on hunger strike in Egypt

Dozens of MPs and Lords have urged the foreign secretary to immediately secure the release of a British citizen unlawfully jailed in Egypt, warning that after a 200-day hunger strike “he may not live for much longer”.

Alaa-Abdel Fattah, 40, has been consuming just 100 calories a day since May in protest of the Egyptian authorities’ refusal to grant him a consular visit, despite the fact his case has been raised twice by former prime minister Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss, as foreign secretary.

In despair, the British-Egyptian software developer announced on Thursday that he will reduce his intake to zero calories a day, ahead of next month’s Cop27 summit hosted by Egypt that a high-level British delegation will attend.

Sixty-four MPs and peers from across the political divide wrote to James Cleverly, warning Mr Abdel-Fattah’s life is a “serious risk” and urging him to use every opportunity at the climate summit to work on his freedom.

They said the continued persecution and psychological torture of the activist by Egypt, a supposed ally, “gives us grave concerns about the precedent being set for our constituents arrested in Egypt as well as other countries.”

“We are particularly concerned that Egypt, a longstanding strategic partner of the UK, would act with seeming disinterest to our government’s legitimate duty of care for British citizens,” read the letter signed by figures including Lord Patten, David Jones, the Duke of Norfolk, Desmond Swayne, Crispin Blunt, and Baroness Kennedy.

“COP27, just a few days away, will be a moment of intense public scrutiny on Egypt. Several important British climate groups have already expressed concern that the conference will be used to paper over human rights concerns in the country,” the letter continued.

“We understand that the UK government has lent significant support to the Egyptians to deliver a complex logistical operation, and to secure the legacy of COP26. We ask that you also ensure that the UK uses the opportunity to secure Alaa’s release.”

Mr Abdel-Fattah has been jailed by every Egyptian president in his lifetime and has spent most of the past decade behind bars.

Together with other family members, he has been repeatedly targeted by the administration of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the country’s ex-army chief who stormed to power after a 2013 coup that ousted unpopular Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi, who himself subsequently died in prison.

The software developer and father is currently serving his latest five-year sentence – which the peers and MPs labelled “unlawful”. He was convicted on charges of spreading false news after he shared social media posts that were critical of terrible prison conditions under the military-backed regime.

The Egyptian authorities have repeatedly denied the abuse of prisoners in its jails or that they have stifled freedoms.

But Mr Abdel-Fattah’s family fear his life is now “hanging by a thread” and he will die – possibly in the middle of the COP27 – if no action is taken. His sister Sanaa, herself a British citizen who has been jailed three times in Cairo, started a sit in outside of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in protest last week.

“It terrifies me to think what might happen when his body is already so weak,” Ms Seif said from her tent.

“Alaa has been on hunger strike for over 200 days – in that time we’ve had three governments, all of whom have let us down, failing even to gain the most basic consular access. It’s unbearable to think that the current political chaos could cost him his life.

“With only a few days until COP27 begins in Egypt, I ask the British politicians going to attend the conference – are you really prepared to let your citizen die on your watch?”

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, a family MP, visited the sit-in this week where he said he was petitioning the FCDO to work on Alaa’s case.

“This has now gone on for too long. Too long. Another family in desperate need. And of course, you should not have to resort to a sit-in to draw attention to these issues,” he said.

Thursday’s cross-party letter said that dozens of international organisations had called for the unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained in Egypt for exercising their rights before COP27.

The letter urged the foreign secretary to support the call saying it would “complete a job” started by Liz Truss, it would secure a diplomatic win for Britain and be a significant “victory for democracy worldwide”.

“You would ensure that the essential climate negotiations remain the principal focus at COP27,” the letter added.