The sister of Egyptian-British hunger striker Alaa Abd El-Fattah is piling the pressure on Rishi Sunak to secure his release after arriving in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The 40-year-old pro-democracy writer and activist has been kept behind bars in Egypt for most of the past decade.

In December last year, El-Fattah was sentenced to five years in prison, after being accused of spreading fake news.

And with many world leaders, including the prime minister, descending on the coastal resort for COP27, Sanaa Seif said: “I’m here to do my best to try and shed light on my brother’s case and to save him.

“I’m really worried. I’m here to put pressure on all leaders coming, especially Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.”

The family, who had recently been leading a sit-in outside the British Foreign Office in London, held a vigil on Sunday at Downing Street.

And last week they spoke to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Lord Tariq Ahmad, North Africa minister, about the case.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urged to limit engagement with COP27 climate summit until Egypt frees UK citizen

El-Fattah’s second sister Mona Seif has said her brother will be escalating his hunger strike in prison, including a water strike as COP27 takes place.

“Alaa is not desperate to die,” she said.

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Family of jailed British-Egyptian writer Alaa Abd El-Fattah call for his release ahead of COP27
PM writes to family of jailed British-Egyptian writer as sister urges him to get ‘proof of life’

“These are the actions of a man desperate to end this ordeal he has been sucked into for nine years and desperate to be reunited with his family.

“We honestly believe that if Alaa doesn’t make it while COP is taking place in Egypt, if Alaa is not freed by that point, Alaa is going to die in prison.”

Tens of thousands of government critics, including journalists, environmental groups, and human rights defenders, are imprisoned in Egypt on “terrorism” charges, according to Human Rights Watch.

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