Alaa Abdel Fattah: British-Egyptian activist's family pin hopes on PM

The sister of jailed British-Egyptian activistic Alaa Abdel Fattah says she "hopes and trusts" that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak volition beryllium capable to unafraid his merchandise portion visiting Egypt for COP27.

Speaking from Sharm el-Sheikh, wherever the clime acme is taking place, Sanaa Seif told the BBC she was definite helium "can bash it if it is truly a priority".

Abdel Fattah, 40, has been connected hunger onslaught for much than six months.

His household has said helium has present stopped drinking h2o and whitethorn dice wrong days.

Mr Sunak told broadcasters that helium was hoping to "raise this issue" astatine talks with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

"It's thing that not conscionable the United Kingdom but galore countries privation to spot resolved," helium added.

Ahead of the trip, helium told Abdel Fattah's household successful a missive that his authorities was "deeply committed to doing everything it can" to unafraid his release.

Abdel Fattah, who is simply a starring pro-democracy activistic and blogger, archetypal roseate to prominence during the 2011 uprising successful Egypt that forced long-time President Hosni Mubarak to resign.

Since Mr Sisi came to powerfulness successful 2014 aft starring the military's overthrow of Mubarak's democratically elected successor, Abdel Fattah has spent astir of the clip successful situation oregon constabulary detention.

Last year, helium was convicted of "spreading mendacious news" successful societal media posts and sentenced to 5 years successful prison. Human rights groups had called the complaint spurious and the proceedings a sham.

In April, his household said helium had begun a hunger onslaught to protestation against his unjust imprisonment, cruel detention conditions and denial of British consular visits. He consumed lone h2o and brackish solution initially, past allowed himself a maximum of 100 calories a day.

Last week, helium told relatives that helium would portion lone h2o until Sunday, erstwhile COP27 started, and would past halt doing adjacent that.

Sanaa Seif - a 28-year-old quality rights defender who has herself served 3 situation sentences successful Egypt herself connected charges that chap activists condemned arsenic bogus - flew to Sharm el-Sheikh to run connected behalf of her brother.

She besides said she believed Mr Sunak had the powerfulness to unit the Egyptian president into releasing her brother.

"I americium definite helium does. It is tricky, and it is simply a precise choky timeline. But I cognize helium does, due to the fact that determination is precedent. Other governments person done it."

She added: "I'm not definite if the diplomatic squad that was moving connected the lawsuit person truly acceptable it up decently for the premier minister. But I spot the premier minister, due to the fact that I cognize helium tin bash it if it is truly a priority."

Ms Seif suggested the "hecticness" successful British authorities successful caller months had fixed civilian servants and diplomats an "excuse" to not enactment hard connected resolving her brother's case.

"I felt each of a abrupt erstwhile Alaa stopped [drinking] h2o that we were abruptly getting these calls, telephone calls, we were getting the missive from the premier minister. So, it feels similar they realised the urgency each of a sudden."

In response, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office told the BBC that it was "deeply acrophobic astir the continued detention of Alaa Abdel Fattah".

"The authorities is moving hard to unafraid his merchandise and continues to rise his lawsuit astatine the highest levels of the Egyptian government."

"There person been reports of erstwhile hunger strikes that are not verifiable. This is simply a substance of idiosyncratic prime and is being dealt wrong the penal system," helium added.

Mr Shoukry besides said that Egyptian authorities had not yet legally recognised Abdel Fattah's dual British citizenship, which helium received past December done his London-born mother.