Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met Ms Soueif on February 14 and said he would do all that he could to secure her son’s release.

Amnesty International UK chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said: “Laila’s sudden deterioration in health is incredibly worrying. It should never have come to this.

“Earlier this month the Prime Minister said he would do everything he can to secure the release of Alaa — now is the time to turn promises into results.

“The government must make Alaa’s case a top priority — delaying action any further could be a matter of life and death.”