British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has been freed from a Cairo prison following a presidential pardon, his family announced on Tuesday. This release led to an emotional reunion with his family.
Abdel Fattah, 43, was a central figure in Egypt’s 2011 uprising and a vocal critic of the government, having spent much of the last ten years behind bars.
His lawyer and a senior Egyptian official confirmed on Monday that President Sisi granted him a pardon, leading to his release from Wadi al-Natrun Prison near Cairo.
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Early Tuesday, social media posts from his family depicted Abdel Fattah’s moving reunion with his relatives.
“Home,” read a post from an official X account advocating his release, alongside a photo of a smiling Abdel Fattah in a loose yellow T-shirt hugging his mother, Laila Soueif.
His sister Mona Seif, also a prominent activist, celebrated “an exceptionally kind day” on X, sharing a photo of herself emotionally embracing her smiling brother.
Over two decades, Abdel Fattah has faced imprisonment under every Egyptian regime, from Hosni Mubarak to President Sisi.
His latest arrest was in 2019, and he was sentenced in 2021 to five years for “spreading false news” after posting on Facebook about alleged torture in Egyptian prisons.
His sentence was set to end in September 2024, but authorities did not count his pre-trial detention.
Soueif recently concluded a 10-month hunger strike for her son’s release.
Abdel Fattah intensified his strike in solidarity with her in early September.
On Monday, the Al-Qahera News channel reported that Sisi pardoned “a number of convicted individuals,” following legal procedures.
“The pardon includes… Alaa Ahmed Seif El-Islam Abdel Fattah,” stated the channel, linked to Egypt’s state intelligence.
Tarek al-Awady of the presidential pardons committee confirmed the pardon procedures were completed, awaiting Abdel Fattah’s release.
Abdel Fattah’s lawyer also confirmed the pardon, along with five others.
Pardon petition
This decision followed Sisi’s order for authorities to review a National Council for Human Rights petition for pardoning several individuals, including Abdel Fattah.
It also followed a Cairo court’s decision to remove Abdel Fattah from a terrorism list, citing no evidence linking him to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Human Rights Watch called the pardon “long overdue good news” and urged the release of other dissidents.
“While we welcome his pardon, many like Alaa remain imprisoned for exercising free speech,” said Amr Magdi, HRW’s senior researcher.
The British government regularly addressed Abdel Fattah’s case with Egypt, including during discussions between PM Keir Starmer and Sisi.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper thanked Sisi on X, expressing hope for Abdel Fattah’s return to the UK to reunite with family.
Since 2022, Sisi’s government has released and pardoned many detainees, including Abdel Fattah’s lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer.
