It's a 'miracle' mother of jailed activist is alive on day 245 of hunger strike, family says

The girl of a 69-year-old pistillate connected hunger onslaught implicit her son's imprisonment successful Egypt has said it is "a miracle" her parent is inactive alive.

Laila Soueif is present 245 days into surviving connected h2o and rehydration salts, having begun her hunger onslaught connected 29 September past twelvemonth - the time aft her British-Egyptian son, Alaa Abd el Fattah, was owed to beryllium released pursuing a five-year situation sentence.

Laila was admitted to London's St Thomas' infirmary connected Thursday and amid fears for her life, her girl Sanaa Soueif contiguous told Sky News' Matt Barbet the past 2 nights were "really tough".

"It's a occurrence mum is alive," she said. "At immoderate constituent [last night] the humor sweetener instrumentality was not reading, but my mum is inactive conscious. She's holding on."

Activist Mr Fattah has been successful situation much oregon little continuously since 2014 implicit his relation successful the pro-democracy Arab Spring protests successful 2011.

He was concisely escaped for six months earlier being rearrested successful 2019 for "disseminating mendacious news" aft retweeting a study that said different captive had died successful custody.

"I request the British authorities to dainty my member similar a hostage," Sanaa said. "There is nary ineligible merit to holding him immoderate longer."

Addressing the information that the UK and Egypt person beardown diplomatic ties, she added: "If you can't get your friends to respect your citizens, past what accidental bash you basal with enemies?"

"It is precise frustrating," she said. "I deliberation some governments are yet sensing the urgency, I conscionable anticipation it's not excessively late.

"I americium updating the Foreign Office each hour, but they're not acting with capable urgency that would prevention her.

"I'm proceeding plans of weeks… We don't person weeks. Keir Starmer needs to enactment now."

In a missive to Laila, and shared by her family, a doc warned connected Friday that she is astatine an "immediate risk" of abrupt death.

There is besides a "clear risk" of "irreversible harm to organs including heart, encephalon and kidneys" which is "worsening the probability for complications upon aboriginal re-feeding," they added.

More from Sky News:
Two Scottish radical 'shot dead' successful Spain
New UK weapons factories to beryllium built 'very soon'

A Foreign Office spokesperson said connected Saturday: "We are profoundly acrophobic by Laila's hospitalisation. We stay successful regular interaction with Laila's household and person checked connected her welfare. We are besides successful interaction with the Egyptian authorities.

"We are committed to securing Alaa Abd El-Fattah's merchandise and proceed to property for this astatine the highest levels of the Egyptian government."

Hamish Falconer, curate for the Middle East, "conveyed our heavy concerns astir the concern successful a telephone with the Egyptian ambassador" connected Saturday, the connection added.

"Further engagement astatine the highest levels of the Egyptian authorities continues."