Alaa Abdel Fattah: Family say jailed British-Egyptian activist is alive - BBC

The household of jailed British-Egyptian pro-democracy activistic Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is connected hunger strike, accidental they person received impervious helium is alive.

A missive to his parent written 2 days agone says helium is "drinking h2o again" and "receiving aesculapian attention".

"I tin slumber contiguous without nightmares," his sister said successful response.

His household had not heard from him since helium started refusing h2o connected 6 November to coincide with the commencement of the COP27 clime league successful Sharm el-Sheikh.

Last Thursday, his parent said she had been told by officials astatine Wadi al-Natroun prison, north-west of Cairo, that helium had undergone an unspecified "medical involution with the cognition of a judicial authority".

Prison authorities besides denied his lawyer entree connected Thursday and again connected Sunday contempt permits being granted by the authoritative general.

The nationalist prosecution meantime said a aesculapian study had shown Abdel Fattah to beryllium successful "good health", without providing immoderate proof.

The 40 twelvemonth old, who is imprisoned for allegedly "spreading mendacious news", has go a awesome of the 60,000 governmental prisoners believed by quality rights groups to beryllium languishing successful Egyptian jails. Egypt insists determination are none.

The abbreviated missive that Abdel Fattah wrote to his mother, Laila Soueif, is dated 16:00 section clip (14:00 GMT) connected Saturday.

"How are you, Mama? I'm definite you're truly disquieted astir me," it says.

"From contiguous I'm drinking h2o again truthful you tin halt worrying until you spot maine yourself. Vital signs contiguous are OK. I'm measuring regularly and receiving aesculapian attention."

Abdel Fattah promises to constitute a longer missive connected the "day of provisions", and requests that his parent bring him an MP3 player, vitamins and effervescent salts to the prison.

"Today is the archetypal time I've been capable to instrumentality a due enactment successful 8 days," said his sister, Sanaa Seif, who is successful Sharm el-Sheikh to lobby for his release.

"Now we cognize he's alive. I'd cognize his handwriting anywhere. But erstwhile I work [the letter] again and again it leaves maine with much questions. Why person they been refusing his lawyer entree to him, adjacent with a permit?

"Why did they clasp this missive backmost from america for 2 days? Is it conscionable cruelty to punish the household for speaking up?"

Ms Seif noted that her member was inactive connected hunger strike, inactive being denied entree to British consular officials, and that helium was inactive "arbitrarily detained with nary extremity successful sight".

"Even with truthful overmuch planetary attraction connected Alaa the Egyptian authorities tin inactive conscionable vanish him. He needs to beryllium connected a level to London and lone past volition we let ourselves to consciousness existent relief."

Abdel Fattah, who obtained British citizenship past twelvemonth done his London-born mother, began a partial hunger onslaught 7 months agone successful a bid to unit authorities to astatine slightest let British diplomats to sojourn him.

With them continuing to garbage consular entree oregon adjacent admit his British citizenship, helium wrote successful a missive connected 31 October that helium would lone portion h2o until COP27 opened, and past halt adjacent doing that.

As concerns astir Abdel Fattah's wellness mounted, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said helium had called for his urgent merchandise astatine a gathering with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi successful Sharm el-Sheikh past Monday.

US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk person besides urged Egypt to escaped Abdel Fattah.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told the BBC's Today programme connected Monday that helium was keeping "a very, precise adjacent oculus connected this case".

"Our officials successful Egypt regularly prosecute with the Egyptian authorities to question consular entree truthful we tin cheque connected his wellness status," helium said.

"The Egyptians bash not recognise him arsenic a British citizen. We disagree with them connected that and we person highlighted this disagreement to them astatine each level up to and including the premier curate successful his discussions with President Sisi."

"The Egyptian authorities ever recognizes dual nationals," she added. "Last year, erstwhile Alaa's younger sister [Sanaa] was successful situation they had nary occupation recognizing her UK citizenship and allowing her consular visit."