International pressure and persistent family advocacy lead to the release of Egypt’s prominent activist, though questions remain about his future freedoms
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has granted a pardon to Alaa Abd El-Fattah, the Egyptian-British activist who has spent over a decade in and out of prison under charges tied to his activism. The pardon follows years of repeated detentions, hunger strikes and international pressure for his release.
Abd El-Fattah, 43, first emerged during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising and became an emblematic voice for democratic reform. Over the years, he has been arrested under different regimes, charged with offenses including protesting without permission and “spreading false news.” In 2014 he was sentenced for protest activity, later released under probation in 2019, but then re-arrested. In 2021 he received another five-year sentence. His detention sparked global concern, especially during events like COP27, as his health deteriorated under harsh conditions. His family, especially his mother Laila Soueif, pushed tirelessly for his freedom, aided by international human rights groups and foreign governments.
His name was removed earlier this year from Egypt’s terrorism list, setting the stage for the pardon that Sisi ordered to be considered in September. While the pardon ends the latest official conviction, it remains unclear what limitations or conditions will apply to his freedom, and whether he will be able to resume any form of public activism.
Egypt’s human rights situation, however, remains deeply alarming. Independent monitoring organizations report widespread arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and the frequent use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment—especially in police stations, secret detention facilities, and prisons. Pretrial detention is excessively long, often renewed without meaningful judicial oversight. Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are severely restricted, with journalists, human rights defenders, protestors, lawyers, and critics regularly prosecuted under vague laws including “terrorism,” “spreading false news,” or “misuse of communication tools.” Women in detention face gender-based violence and lack adequate medical care, while prison conditions are often overcrowded, unsanitary, and medically negligent. Amnesty International and other groups report that authorities continue to use the justice system to silence dissent rather than to administer fair trials. These systemic abuses persist under the veneer of legal reform.
Laila Soueif, a mathematics professor and mother of the Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, began a hunger strike around September 2024, on the date when her son should have been released from prison. Alaa has already served his five-year sentence, but the authorities did not count the two years he spent in pre-trial detention between 2019 and 2021, which means he remains in prison despite the expiry of his term. Laila declared that she would continue her strike until he is freed, calling on the British government to take stronger diplomatic action on behalf of its citizen.
Over the months her protest has become increasingly severe, with her food intake reduced to almost nothing. She has lost more than 40% of her body weight and suffered from hypoglycemia, dangerously low blood pressure, and repeated health crises. She has been hospitalized several times, most recently after more than 240 days of fasting, but has insisted on continuing.
Her action has drawn international attention and renewed pressure on both Egypt and the United Kingdom. In July 2025 an appeals court in Badr removed Alaa’s name from Egypt’s terrorism list, lifting asset freezes and travel bans, but despite that he remains imprisoned. Laila’s hunger strike highlights the risks of irreversible damage to her health, while also keeping her son’s case visible in international debates on justice, human rights, and the responsibilities of governments toward detained dual citizens.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s sisters, Mona Seif and Sanaa Seif, have played a central role both in his personal case and in the wider struggle for human rights in Egypt.
Mona Seif is a biologist and activist who co-founded the movement “No to Military Trials for Civilians” after the 2011 revolution. Her work has focused on challenging the use of military courts against civilians, exposing systemic abuses and violations of due process. She has consistently campaigned for her brother’s release, mobilizing media attention and international networks, often at personal risk from harassment and threats.
Sanaa Seif, the younger sister, is an activist and filmmaker. She has been arrested several times in Egypt for her political engagement and participation in peaceful protests. In 2014 she was sentenced to two years in prison for demonstrating against a restrictive protest law, and on other occasions she has been detained for advocating the release of political prisoners. During Alaa’s imprisonment, Sanaa has become a prominent international voice, speaking before the European Parliament and the United Nations to highlight prison conditions in Egypt and the persecution of her family.
Together, Mona and Sanaa have ensured that Alaa’s case remains in the public eye, turning their family’s ordeal into a broader campaign for justice, freedom of expression, and human rights in Egypt.
