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A NEW HOPE

Laura Plummer could be freed from hellhole Egypt jail TODAY as her family begs for President to pardon her on annual ‘day of mercy’

A BRIT caged in Egypt after being found with prescription pills could be suddenly freed today on the Egyptian President's "day of mercy".

Laura Plummer, 33, was jailed for three years on Boxing Day for bringing painkillers into the country, but could be spared the rest of her sentence.

Laura Plummer could be freed today after being caged on Boxing Day for bringing prescription pills into Egypt
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Laura Plummer could be freed today after being caged on Boxing Day for bringing prescription pills into EgyptCredit: PA:Press Association

As part of the country's Revolution Day celebrations, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi can issue some prisoners with pardons.

Laura's family, who have described her as "naive", said she was taking the tablets for her Egyptian partner Omar, who suffers from severe back pain.

Her sister Jayne Sinclair is now praying the Egyptian president uses his authority today to release Laura.

She said: "We have a small hope. We are not building our hopes up but we put it through the press for him to consider.

"He has previously said he won't interfere in Laura's case but we would love her to get pardoned."

Mother of jailed Brit Laura Plummer breaks down in tears as daughter remains in Egypt

Last year President Sisi pardoned 203 prisoners in March and over 500 in June by presidential decree.

Ms Sinclair said the family have no contact with Laura while she is jailed but have had an update from Omar which gave them small comfort.

She added: "We have no contact at all with Laura and she isn't allowed to use the phone or anything like that.

"The family has never been able to have a phone call. She is not in a cell with 64 people any more like she was.

"I think it was a holding cell which she has now been moved out of. When we visited Egypt we put an official complaint in about the conditions of the cell.

"With the state Laura was in, we thought she should be sectioned under the mental health act when we were there.

 Laura Plummer sobbed uncontrollably during a recent prison visit
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Laura Plummer sobbed uncontrollably during a recent prison visitCredit: Glen Minikin - The Sun
Laura's family are appealing to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, pictured
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Laura's family have appealed to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-SisiCredit: Reuters

"There was no space at all in the cell, people were shouting it was so loud.

"If you have seen the pictures of the jail it isn't a positive thing for us, but she has been moved into a cell with another British woman who she said she is getting on with."

Earlier this month fears were growing for Laura after she told her family: "I want to die."

Terrified Laura, 33, sobbed uncontrollably during a 20-minute jail visit at a notorious Cairo hellhole.

She was moved there after being sentenced to three years for carrying painkillers in her suitcase.

Speaking for the first time since she was jailed she wept: "I'll never make it out of here alive.

 She has been sharing a jail cell with dozens of other inmates
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She has been sharing a jail cell with dozens of other inmatesCredit: PA:Press Association
Laura Plummer, centre, with her sisters Jayne Synclair, left, and Rachel Plummer, right
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Laura Plummer, centre, with her sisters Jayne, left, and Rachel Plummer, rightCredit: Facebook

"I'm just not strong enough. This is my worst nightmare. It's a living hell and I want to die. I just can't bear it anymore."

Her distraught sister Jayne Synclair, 40, broke down as she recalled her parting words.

Crying Laura begged: "Please don't leave me here."

Jayne and sister Rachel Plummer, 31, flew to Cairo to see Laura after she was transferred to notorious Al Qanater prison.

She said she was appalled at the conditions and told how Laura is being held with 64 other women still waiting for a cell.

She sleeps on the floor, is woken at 7am and is forced to sit cross-legged until 11pm when the lights go out.

 Laura said the pills she was caught with were for husband Omar who suffers back pain
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Laura said the pills she was caught with were for husband Omar who suffers back painCredit: Glen Minikin - The Sun

Florist Jayne told The Sun: "The first sight of her has left me scarred for life. She hadn't eaten for a week and was drinking water out of a tap in the toilet.

"It's horrifying. She's had all her possessions taken from her - a blanket, a cushion - and is now laying on the floor and using a packet of sanitary towels as a pillow.

"She says there are literally bodies lying on top of one another. Her nose touches the back of a woman's head - that's how close it is in there.

"She told me she couldn't cope. I kept saying 'you can, you can' but the truth is she can't. She's just not strong enough, few are.

Laura, left, was carrying the painkiller for Egyptian husband Omar Saad, right
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Laura was seized as she flew into Hurghada airport on Egypt's red sea coastCredit: Glen Minikin - The Sun
 Laura's mum Roberta Synclair in Hurgharda after paying her a visit in the police station
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Laura's mum Roberta Synclair in Hurgharda after paying her a visit in the police stationCredit: Peter Jordan - The Sun
Mr Farmer said the toilets in the prison were squalid
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Pictured is a photo taken inside the squalid Cairo jailCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

"It's heartbreaking seeing her like that. She's totally given up on life and just wants to die and who could blame her?

"She's been left to rot inside that awful prison, they've stripped away any dignity she had and are constantly shouting at her.

"We want to be able to give her some hope, something to cling onto, but at the moment there doesn't seem to be any.

"If something isn't done soon she will kill herself."

The Brit managed to snap a photo of his grim cell door during his stay
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The photos were taken by a Brit banged up in the prisonCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Rachel said: "She didn't know that we were coming to see her and just looked so scared when she was brought out.

"She looked across at us and the image of her frightened face will live with me forever. I just burst into tears.

"Laura didn't even smile. It's like all the life has been drained out of her."

Laura, of Hull, East Yorks., was jailed on Boxing Day for carrying painkillers into the country at the start of a two-week holiday last October.

Pictures from inside the prison show its grim conditions
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Pictures from inside the prison show its grim conditionsCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
Inmates slept in horrific conditions, according to the former inmate
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Inmates slept in horrific conditions, according to the former inmateCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

[bc_video video_id="5705741074001" account_id="5067014667001" player_id="default" embed="in-page" caption="Brit Pete Farmer on how he was locked up in cockroach infested jail in Egypt like Laura Plummer
"]

Shop worker Laura pleaded her innocence and told prosecutors the Tramadol tablets were for her Egyptian husband, Omar Saad, 33.

He hurt his back in a car crash. X-rays, doctors notes and other paperwork proved Laura was telling the truth but she was still caged.

Her family complained to the Foreign Office about the conditions inside Al Qanater and raised their worries over her mental health but say nothing is being done.

Laura's furious dad Neville said: "It's totally unjust and the Foreign Office are standing by and watching this happen.

"Nobody deserves what Laura is going through. She's a human being and hasn't done anything wrong.

"We can't understand how this has got so far and now it seems as though the British government have washed their hands of her.

"She is a British national in a foreign jail and desperately needs their help. She has been through enough already. This has to end."

Earlier this month, aForeign Office spokeswoman said: "We are continuing to provide assistance to Laura and her family following the court ruling in Egypt, and our embassy is in regular contact with the Egyptian authorities."

Family of Laura Plummer reveal on This Morning she is a 'shell' of herself after being jailed in Egypt


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