A mother who has spent 100 days on hunger strike has said she believes the UK Government will only “act decisively” to help free her jailed son when she is admitted hospital.

British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, 43, has been detained in Egypt since September 29 2019 and in December 2021 was sentenced to five years in prison after being accused of spreading false news.

His mother, Laila Soueif, 68, has vowed not to eat until he is freed and is “surviving on nothing” but black coffee, herbal tea and three packets of rehydration salts a day, according to the Free Alaa campaign.

We have been lucky that my body has been resilient but we will soon run out of time

Mr Abd El-Fattah has spent most of the past decade in prison because of his criticism of Egypt’s rulers and is unable to see his young son who lives in Brighton.

Ms Soueif will visit him in prison on Wednesday before returning to London later in the week and aims to attend Foreign Office questions in the Commons next week.

Ms Soueif said: “I honestly can’t believe that my body has lasted 100 days on hunger strike. I had no idea it was possible.

“But unfortunately the Government seems to be waiting for me to be hospitalised before they act decisively to secure my son’s freedom.

“We have been lucky that my body has been resilient but we will soon run out of time. I have now lost a lot of weight and am more and more tired every day.”

Campaigners have urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to do more to help free Mr Abd El-Fattah.

Human rights experts, including Amnesty International secretary general Agnes Callamard, last month wrote to Sir Keir insisting Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi can “resolve this case with the stroke of a pen” and they are “convinced” the Prime Minister’s direct intervention is needed.

Sir Keir raised Mr Abd El-Fattah’s plight with Mr Sisi in August but he “did not raise the case” at the recent G20 summit attended by the pair, according to the Foreign Office.

The two leaders reportedly met on the sidelines of the summit in Brazil.

The Government last month said it “remains our priority” to secure Mr Abd El-Fattah’s release, with Foreign Secretary David Lammy raising the case on December 20.