The British-Egyptian human rights activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah will be released from jail after serving six years for sharing a Facebook post, Egyptian state media have reported.
Egypt’s president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, granted him his freedom after intensive lobbying by the UK government and pressure from Egypt’s national human rights council.
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, is known to have telephoned Sisi three times to lobby for Abd el-Fattah’s release. His national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, also called for his release as did the former foreign secretary David Lammy. It appears a growing warmth in British-Egyptian official relations – including over how to handle the Palestine question – may have played a role in the president’s decision.
Abd el-Fattah’s 69-year-old mother, Laila Soueif, was admitted to hospital in London twice after going on hunger strikes to try to secure his release. The prominent activist and maths professor also held vigils outside the Foreign Office and Downing Street, saying she was prepared to die to achieve her son’s release.
The campaign has also been led by Abd el-Fattah’s two sisters, Mona and Sanaa, and other family members. They tried to keep a low profile once the possibility of his release became known, fearing that anything they might say could upset a delicate process. After hearing news of her brother’s impeding release, Mona issued a short tweet in Arabic saying: “My heart will explode.”
Abd el-Fattah’s pardon was reported by al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egypt’s intelligence service. It said: “The Egyptian president issues a pardon for the remainder of the prison sentence for a number of convicted persons, after taking the constitutional and legal procedures in this regard. The pardon includes … Alaa Ahmed Seif El-Islam Abd el-Fattah.”
The human rights council had recommended seven prisoners for release but its recommendations are not always followed. Abd el-Fattah’s family, who were waiting outside the prison in Cairo, said they were being told he may not be released until Tuesday.
Supporters were reported to be heading to the prison where he is detained to welcome his release. He is expected to face an exit interview if that has not already happened, and his desire would eventually be to travel to the UK.
Members of the family said they were following the developments in real time.
A member of the family and spokesperson for the Free Alaa campaign said: “We learned about it through the news like anyone else. Family members are driving to the prison now to find out more. It’s hard to believe it might be happening after all these years.”
The chair of the foreign affairs select committee, Emily Thornberry, said: “I am absolutely delighted to hear Alaa has received a pardon.
“Laila, Mona, Sanaa and Alaa’s entire family’s tireless campaign for his release has been incredibly moving. Their love for him was clear when I met Sanaa last year. I am so glad they will get to see him come home.”
Kerry Moscogiuri, the campaigns director at Amnesty International, said: “Alaa should never have endured this nightmare in the first place. Alaa and his family … have endured unimaginable pain by his groundless imprisonment.
“Amnesty calls on the prime minister to urgently push for Alaa’s complete freedom and safe travel to the UK. This is an opportunity to begin a new chapter in which the UK government works more strategically and consistently on behalf of UK nationals arbitrarily held overseas.”
A writer and supporter of the Arab spring, Abd el-Fattah has been in jail since 2019. In 2021, he was sentenced to five years but the authorities claimed the two years he spent in pre-trial detention did not count toward his sentence. He was convicted of spreading false news and harming Egypt’s national interest. A UN panel found the allegation stemmed from Abd el-Fattah sharing a Facebook post about the death of a prison inmate.