Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 1338 on British Nationals Abroad: Detainees, what response he has received to his request for consular access to Alaa Abd El-Fattah; and if he will take further steps to call for his release prior to the fifth anniversary of his detention in prison on 29 September 2024.

HMG Ministers and officials at the British Embassy in Cairo continue to raise Mr Alaa Abd El-Fattah's case with the Egyptian government at the highest levels. They have been consistently clear in calling for his release and continue to press for urgent consular access. The Egyptian Government does not recognise Mr El-Fattah as a British national and are refusing consular access. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr El-Fattah's case with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty most recently on 25 September, the Prime Minister also raised Mr El-Fattah's case with President Sisi on 8 August, and I raised Mr El-Fattah's case with the Egyptian Ambassador on 11 September.