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January 20, 2025 – Egypt/UK –
Australian journalist Peter Greste began a 21-day hunger strike outside the UK Prime Minister’s office in London to demand the release of Egyptian-British political prisoner Alaa Abd el-Fattah. Greste, who spent 400 days in an Egyptian prison in 2013 for his reporting with Al Jazeera, shared a prison block with Abd el-Fattah and credited him for helping him survive the ordeal.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a prominent activist from Egypt’s 2011 revolution, has been imprisoned repeatedly over the last decade. He was most recently sentenced in 2021 to five years for “spreading false news,” and although his sentence was set to end in September 2024, Egyptian authorities refused to count his pretrial detention time. This means he could remain in prison until 2027.
Greste’s hunger strike joins that of Laila Soueif, Abd el-Fattah’s mother, who has been refusing food since September 30, 2024. Now approaching 150 days without eating, Soueif has lost over 25 kilograms and was recently hospitalized with dangerously low blood sugar. Both she and Greste are urging the British government to take stronger diplomatic action to secure Abd el-Fattah’s release.
Despite multiple appeals from British officials—including Foreign Secretary David Lammy—there has been no progress in negotiations with the Egyptian government. Greste emphasized the moral obligation for the UK to do more, stating that Alaa “stood by me when I was in prison, and now I must stand by him.”
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have long called Abd el-Fattah’s imprisonment arbitrary and politically motivated. His case symbolizes Egypt’s broader crackdown on dissent and the repression of journalists, writers, and activists.
Bottom line: Peter Greste’s hunger strike shines a spotlight on Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s continued detention and challenges the UK to act more decisively. As Laila Soueif’s health deteriorates, the situation has become urgent, raising serious questions about international commitment to protecting political prisoners and defending human rights.
Reference –
Former Australian prison mate of jailed Egyptian-British dissident goes on hunger strike
