In the upper-middle-class Mohandiseen neighbourhood in Egypt's Giza province, the family house of jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is rarely silent.
The cosy flat has become a sanctuary where friends, activists and public figures frequently gather in solidarity with his mother, Dr Laila Soueif, who is on hunger strike protesting her son's imprisonment by Egyptian authorities.
Speaking to The New Arab in Cairo, Soueif bluntly warned: "If my child is not set free, I am prepared to die—and the world will hold both Egypt and the UK accountable."
As her health deteriorates after months on a hunger strike, the mathematics professor at Cairo University remains resolute in her fight to free her imprisoned son.
Since TNA interviewed her last December in London, Soueif has grown visibly frailer and her voice sounds weaker. Yet, her resolve remains steadfast.
A decade-long struggle
On 30 September 2024, Soueif began a hunger strike in protest of what she describes as the "illegal" continuation of her son's detention beyond the term of his five-year sentence.
Earlier this month, she returned to Cairo, determined to see her son, fully aware it may be the last time. She was granted two prison visits in close succession, one of them an exceptional visit granted during a national holiday.
Last week, the elderly mother was finally able to hold her 43-year-old son in her arms for the first time in nearly two years.
"I saw him two days earlier, and we were denied any form of physical contact. But maybe someone with high authority pulled some strings. I don't really know," she said.
"Alaa and I were thrilled by the unexpected visit. I think the last time I hugged my child was when we were allowed an exceptional in-person visit in the presence of his 13-year-old son, Khaled, who is autistic," she recalled. "This time, we were let in without the usual long wait. It was a touching moment. We spoke spontaneously, trying to catch up. It felt like a normal conversation at home."
"The prison check-in lasted only 20 minutes, followed by barely five minutes for a rushed goodbye—what I metaphorically call 'the time we spend on the stairs' as the guard led him back to his cell. Those few moments were crammed with practical remarks and parting words," she added.
Abdel Fattah, one of Egypt's most prominent political prisoners, has been behind bars almost continuously for over a decade.
First sentenced to five years in 2014, he was rearrested less than a year after his release while on parole over "disseminating false news" among other charges.
According to his lawyers, the two years Abdel Fattah spent in pre-trial detention before receiving a verdict should have "legally" been counted towards his sentence—a legal stipulation ignored by authorities.
"The two years were not counted, and he was required to spend the full five-year sentence, nevertheless […] Alaa has been kidnapped and illegally incarcerated by a gang of thugs. This is how I put it," Soueif argued.
A key figure in Egypt's 2011 Revolution, Abdel Fattah's voice once mobilised thousands in the streets. Today, it is his mother's voice that carries his cause, along with his two sisters, Mona and Sanaa Seif.
His book, "You Have Not Yet Been Defeated," which compiles his published works, prison notes, and notable tweets from the past 10 years (2011–2021), was released by Fitzcarraldo Editions in November 2021 as he was serving time.
"When we published Alaa's book, we used a quote from it as a headline: 'You Have Not Yet Been Defeated.' It was meant to address the West. But now, after the Gaza war broke out, we have all been defeated," Soueif sighed.
Abdel Fattah's father, the late renowned human rights lawyer, Ahmed Seif, was commonly referred to by his clients and colleagues as "the advocate of the poor."
"I thank God that my husband is not alive now to witness the collapse of the justice system in Egypt," remarked the 69-year-old mother.
Soueif's grandson, Khaled, currently enrolled in a special needs school in Brighton, continues to struggle without his father.
"Any autistic teenager needs a male figure in his life. Whenever my daughters ask about Khaled's future if I die, I tell them his father will eventually care for him," she said. "Regardless of the trauma he has endured, Alaa must pull himself together and be there for his son."
For months, scores of activists, artists, intellectuals, and public figures have joined forces to support Soueif, many launching their own symbolic hunger strikes as they shared social media posts under the hashtag "she starves, so he can live" in a bid to mobilise the international community.
"On the level of individuals and human rights groups, I have witnessed immense love and support, not only in Egypt or the UK, but also all over the world—from people of all age groups, even teenagers," Soueif said.
'If it costs me my life to make a statement, so be it'
Soueif was born in London on 1 May in 1956 to Egyptian parents on a day, coinciding with International Labour Day.
Often dubbed by Egyptian activists and revolutionaries as "the mother of prisoners", Soueif became a rights activist herself at the age of 16—even before entering university—and later spent decades campaigning for academic freedom, notably through the September 9 Movement.
She has remained fearless over the years, despite successive crackdowns on dissent during the eras of the late President Anwar Sadat, ousted President Hosni Mubarak, and the current regime of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
As her health declines, Soueif's defiance grows.
In late February, Soueif was hospitalised in London after her blood sugar and pressure sharply declined. Under pressure from her daughters, she agreed to receive a glucose drip. Since then, she has shifted to a partial hunger strike, consuming only around 300 liquid calories a day.
The shift in her approach came after confirmation that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised Alaa's case during a call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Despite this gesture of goodwill, Soueif is sceptical. "For many years, the UK government has offered verbal support. But I have yet to see any tangible results. I've met with the British ambassador to Egypt and senior UK officials, including the Prime Minister. OK, and then what?" she rhetorically asked.
The final visit on Wednesday, just before Soueif's scheduled visit to London tomorrow, this Saturday, was held behind separating glass. Soueif knows in her heart it's likely the last time she will see her son.
"Alaa has been on a hunger strike since 1 March. This is too much for him. Just because I have endured a longer hunger strike without collapsing doesn't mean he won’t. I’m bracing myself for the worst," she said, her voice tinged with concern.
"Alaa frequently suffers from kidney issues and gastric ulcers. He vomited for 11 consecutive days—seven of which we didn't even know about. But we later learned he had been treated well inside prison," she added. "He feels psychologically better after starting his hunger strike—being involved in his cause. He feels he is not leaving his mother to fight alone."
"I do not want to die. Neither do I wish for my children to suffer. But it is absurd that business between the British and Egyptian governments continues as usual…but if it costs me my life to make a statement, so be it," she reflected. "There are political projections that if I die on a hunger strike, UK–Egypt ties will be jeopardised."
"Governments have responsibilities towards their citizens, and those responsibilities have not been met. Alaa is a dual national. Both the UK and Egyptian governments are accountable for his well-being and his rights," she further argued. "All I hear is sweet talk from the UK, while Egypt remains utterly indifferent. What matters to me is that my child is released. Even a consular visit has not been permitted since Alaa obtained British citizenship."
"If my child is not set free, I will launch a full hunger strike to shame both the UK and Egypt—even if it leads to the end of my life and potentially damages their diplomatic ties. There is no logic in keeping Alaa in prison," Soueif firmly concluded.