The idea was to crush his spirit’: family of jailed British-Egyptian man describe awful prison conditions

<p>As Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s mother remains on hunger strike, supporters say activist’s continued detention is campaign of vengeance by Egypt’s president</p><p>Family, friends and supporters of the jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah have spoken about the conditions of his long imprisonment as his mother, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2025/jun/11/250-days-on-hunger-strike-can-laila-soueif-secure-her-sons-freedom-podcast">Laila Soueif</a>, remains in a London hospital in declining health on a hunger strike to secure his release.</p><p>Amid a mounting campaign to put pressure on British ministers to intervene more forcefully on Abd el-Fattah’s behalf, supporters say his continued detention is part of a campaign of vengeance motivated by the personal animus of the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, towards him.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/12/the-idea-was-to-crush-his-spirit-family-of-jailed-british-egyptian-man-describe-awful-prison-conditions">Continue reading...</a>