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Written question asked by Chris Philp (Conservative) on Monday, 5 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 8 January 2026 (named day). It was answered by Hamish Falconer (Labour) on Monday, 12 January 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.


Alaa Abd El-Fattah

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many meetings Ministers have had on the topic of Alaa Abh El-Fattah since 5 July 2025.

Answer

The Rt Hon Member appears to be under the false impression that the campaign for Mr El-Fattah's release began just six months ago.

In fact, the FCDO first raised Mr El-Fattah's case following his initial conviction in June 2014, a full eleven years before the date mentioned by the Rt Hon Member, and successive governments gave him consular support and made it a priority to argue for his release after he was granted British citizenship in 2021.

If the Rt Hon Member shares the Government's determination to address the information failures exposed by this case, as set out in my statement to the House on 5 January, then it does him no credit to pretend that these same information failures did not also exist under the government in which he served.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
102821
Session
2024-26
Related items
Middle East and North Africa
Monday, 5 January 2026
Parliamentary proceedings
House of Commons
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Ministers Meetings El-Fattah, Alaa Abd
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk