A group of MPs and peers has written to the foreign secretary urging more action to help a British citizen being held in “inhumane” conditions as a political prisoner in Egypt.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a dual British-Egyptian citizen, became a prominent pro-democracy activist during the Tahrir Square demonstrations in Cairo in 2011 which led to the downfall of then president Hosni Mubarak.
But he was sentenced to five years behind bars for sharing a Facebook post about human rights abuses in Egyptian prisons in 2019 and he has been on hunger strike since last month.
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A letter to Liz Truss signed by 10 MPs – including Labour’s Ben Bradshaw, Tory David Jones and Liberal Democrat Layla Moran – and 17 members of the House of Lords – says he is being held in “inhumane” conditions.
They say Mr Abd El-Fattah, father of a ten-year-old son, has been deprived for two-and-a-half years of reading materials, exercise, sunlight or bedding.
At his trial, in a state security emergency court, the defence was not granted access to the case file and no appeal of the five-year sentence is possible, the letter said.
It said the British embassy has been requesting consular access but this has not been granted.
“If this situation continues, we are concerned a dangerous precedent will be set for British citizens overseas and the values we uphold,” the MPs and peers said.
“In turn his case must be dealt with robustly.”
Image: The letter calls for immediate improvements to Mr Abd El-Fattah prison conditions Pic: AP
The letter from MPs and peers called on the government to “use all means possible” to secure consular access for Mr Abd El-Fattah, insist on immediate improvements to his conditions and a transfer out of the maximum security prison.
It also asks ministers to press for his release “either within Egypt or to the UK”.
Mr Abd El-Fattah has spent eight of the last ten years in jail and has been on hunger strike since April.
His family say his situation is deteriorating and the UK government needs to put more pressure on the Egyptian authorities to secure his release.
Mona Seif, Mr Abd El-Fattah’s sister recently told the Independent, after visiting him in prison: “He is worried that he is entering his second month of full hunger strike, a month where he will be in complete isolation.
“He told me that even if he resists, he cannot trust his body will not fail him.
“He is also worried during this time that they will take advantage of the fact that he is in complete isolation and use extreme force with him, subject him to more torture.”
The Egyptian government has previously denied accusations concerning prison conditions, and has defended judicial decisions against foreign criticism, including over Mr Abd El-Fattah’s conviction.
