In brief
Laila Soueif continues to call for justice as she endures a hunger strike in protest against the treatment of her son, an emblem of the rising oppression in Egypt.
Laila Soueif, a British-born mathematician and professor, has reached the 55-day mark of her hunger strike, which she initiated on September 29, 2024. Her protest is focused on her son, Alaa Abd El Fattah, a prominent political prisoner in Egypt, who has been unjustly sentenced to serve his time without credit for his two years of pretrial detention. At 43, Alaa Abd El Fattah’s situation is emblematic of the repression faced by many under the regime of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Since his military coup in 2013, thousands have been imprisoned merely for voicing dissent, and Alaa, now scheduled for release in 2027, fears he may never be freed. Laila, now 68, is surviving on water, rehydration salts, and unsweetened beverages while firmly declaring her resolve to continue the hunger strike. She has made it clear that she is determined to raise awareness around her son’s plight and the larger context of oppression in Egypt. “I won’t back down and I will be very visible,” she stated during an interview in London. “When people ask, ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ I say, ‘I’m creating a crisis.’”Through her hunger strike, Laila Soueif seeks not only to advocate for her son but also to highlight the urgent need for changes in the treatment of political prisoners in Egypt, pushing back against a government that increasingly suppresses free speech and political dissent.
