Laila was hospitalised last night due to dangerously new lows in her blood sugar, blood pressure and sodium. She is today on her 149th day of hunger strike in protest at her son Alaa's continued wrongful imprisonment in Egypt beyond his sentence. Sanaa took her mother to St Thomas’ A&E yesterday evening after Laila’s blood sugar was recorded at home at a worrying new low of 2.1 mmol/L and she reported feeling some numbness in her face. Her blood sugar subsequently dropped to 2.0 mmol/L and she recorded a very low blood pressure reading of 75/45 in hospital before she was admitted overnight. (Normal blood sugar ranges are between 4.0 - 7.0 mmol/L and blood pressure between 90/60 - 120/80) Laila is not taking glucose treatment because of her hunger strike but due to low sodium readings of 131 mmol/L she was put on a saline drip. The hospital has been monitoring her blood sugars each hour and she is being assessed by a consultant this morning. Laila has now lost almost 30kg - 35% of her starting body weight. She has consumed nothing but herbal tea, black coffee and rehydration salts since September 29th 2024. Laila met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday 14th February where he gave his ‘personal commitment’ to securing Alaa’s release and in a post on X on 16th February said: “Having met Laila Soueif this week, my message is clear. I will do all that I can to secure the release of her son Alaa Abd el-Fattah and reunite him with his family. We will continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government and press for his release.” Laila has called on the Prime Minister to speak directly to President Sisi to secure the release of her son and reunite him with his 13-year-old son Khaled who lives in Brighton. #FreeAlaa