A leading human rights lawyer is urging the UK to bring the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah before the International Court of Justice. Helena Kennedy, a prominent Labour figure in human rights law, has suggested that the UK government should impose sanctions on key members of the Egyptian government due to their refusal to release the British-Egyptian activist. In her article for the Guardian, she referenced France's recent actions in a similar case involving a national detained in Iran.
Lady Kennedy stated that the actions were essential as Abd el-Fattah’s 69-year-old mother, Laila Soueif, reaches the 243rd day of her hunger strike at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. She initiated the strike to obtain either British consular access to her son or his release. Doctors have warned the family that she is at risk of sudden death, although her body has adapted to months without food. This marks her second hospitalization.
Abd el-Fattah has been in various forms of detention in Egypt for over a decade, having completed his latest five-year prison sentence last September. However, the Cairo judiciary has kept him incarcerated, arguing that the two years he spent in jail before his sentencing do not count toward his five-year term.
Soueif's two daughters remain at her bedside, but her family asserts that she is resolute in her determination to see this matter through to a resolution. Kennedy has urged the British government to elevate the case significantly, advocating for the introduction of "sanctions against any Egyptian authorities responsible for Abd el-Fattah's continued detention beyond the end of his five-year sentence." She has recommended this course of action to the Commons foreign affairs select committee. Additionally, she is calling for a pause on any new trade and investment cooperation with Egypt. Overall, she believes the UK government's response to the case has been too cautious. Soueif, a prominent human rights activist, longs to reunite with her son, who has a 14-year-old child living in Brighton and has had limited time with his father.
Kennedy remarked, “Laila’s courage and resilience are remarkable. The era of relying solely on diplomatic niceties has ended; the prime minister must now show strength and determination in this matter.”
Last week, Kennedy, along with former British ambassador to Egypt John Casson, ex-Foreign Office minister Peter Hain, and campaigner Richard Ratcliffe, called for “caution against travel to Egypt.”
He added, “Given what we have learned from Alaa’s situation, the British government must clarify that a British citizen who encounters issues with the police state in Egypt cannot expect fair treatment or standard support from the government. Each year, hundreds of thousands of British citizens visit Egypt, significantly contributing to its economy, yet we cannot guarantee their rights. The Egyptian government will likely take notice if its disregard for the rule of law begins to impact British hotel bookings for the winter season.”
The UK Prime Minister has reached out to the Egyptian President twice, urging him to grant clemency, but the UK government has not threatened any punitive actions. Soueif's unwavering spirit has inspired vigils in Berlin, Washington, and Damascus. Omar Robert Hamilton, Soueif's nephew, who spent the weekend with her, shared that she expressed, “My course is irreversible.” He noted, “My aunt’s determination has only intensified during her time in the hospital. She is aware of the global messages of support and solidarity, and she is committed to seeing her struggle through to the end—whatever that may be.”
Over 120 former political prisoners from Egypt have urged President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to grant clemency. In their statement, they expressed, “What connects us is our shared experience within this system, but what sets us apart from Alaa and others still in detention is that the state has, at different times, chosen to issue presidential pardons or release us once our sentences were completed. Now, years or even months after our release, we pose no threat to public safety; we have simply returned to our lives, striving to reclaim what we lost.”
