More than 100 British parliamentarians, and 32 human rights organisations, have written to the British Prime Minister urging him to use all the tools at his disposal to free the British-Egyptian prisoner Alaa Abd el-Fattah. Alaa’s mother Laila Soueif has been on hunger strike in support of him since September 2024.

In a letter sent on 20 May 2025, 102 MPs and members of the House of Lords called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to “deploy every tool” at his disposal to secure Alaa’s release, and stressed that “if the health of Laila or Alaa is further damaged by this ordeal, this would have serious long-term implications for the British-Egyptian bilateral relationship.”

In Parliament on 21 May, the Prime Minister was quizzed directly on Alaa’s case by John McDonnell MP, and said that, “I have met Laila and given her my commitment to do everything I possibly can. I have had a number of contacts myself, but I am not going to stop doing everything within my power to secure release.”

Separately on 21 May, 32 NGOs including FairSquare called on the Prime Minister to make clear to President al-Sisi that what happens to Alaa and his mother will have ramifications “both for Egypt’s reputation and standing on the international stage, and for the future of its relationship with Britain, including cooperation on tourism, trade, and investment.”

FairSquare has been working with the Free Alaa campaign and Alaa’s family since 2022.