Alaa Abd el-Fattah Freed After 12 Years, Family Celebrates Reunion

Alaa Abd el-Fattah, the prominent Egyptian-British pro-democracy activist, has been released from prison after spending nearly twelve years behind bars. His release on October 30, 2023, came as a result of a pardon granted by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, following appeals made by the National Council for Human Rights on behalf of Abd el-Fattah and five other prisoners.

In his downtown Cairo apartment, laughter and joy filled the air as family and friends gathered to celebrate this long-awaited freedom. Abd el-Fattah’s sister, Sanaa Seif, expressed profound relief and happiness upon receiving the news. “I felt a wave of sudden relief as if my body had been clenched tight for years,” she told reporters, recounting her emotional response to the moment.

Abd el-Fattah’s journey through the Egyptian justice system has been tumultuous. He was first imprisoned in 2014 for participating in an unauthorized protest, later released in early 2019. His subsequent arrest in September 2019 coincided with a security crackdown following rare anti-government protests. After over two years in pretrial detention, he was sentenced by an emergency security court to five years for allegedly spreading false news.

Initially, his release was expected in September 2024; however, authorities decided not to count his pretrial detention time, extending his imprisonment to January 3, 2027. This prompted his mother, Laila Soueif, a mathematics professor, to embark on a hunger strike in the UK, hoping to draw attention to her son’s plight. Unfortunately, her health deteriorated during the strike, leading her to end it in July.

Following Abd el-Fattah’s release, his family rushed to Wadi Natroun prison, located approximately 100 kilometers from Cairo. They hoped to greet him, only to receive a call from Abd el-Fattah himself, informing them that he had already arrived at their home.

Despite the joyous reunion, the family remains acutely aware of the broader circumstances in Egypt. Sanaa Seif noted that while their happiness is immense, it is tinged with sadness due to the ongoing plight of many unjustly detained individuals in the country. “Real happiness will not be complete unless those unjustly detained are released,” she remarked.

Looking ahead, Abd el-Fattah plans to address personal matters in the UK, particularly in relation to his son, Khaled. Sanaa Seif indicated that she would resume her teaching duties at Cairo University next week, continuing her engagement in activism against the government.

Abd el-Fattah has been a significant figure in Egypt’s political landscape, known for his activism during the 2011 uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak. He is part of a family with a strong legacy of political engagement; his late father was a renowned rights lawyer, and his sisters are also involved in activism.

In response to Abd el-Fattah’s release, Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, commended the decision and called on Egypt to ensure the release of all individuals who are arbitrarily detained.

The family’s reunion marks a poignant moment in the ongoing struggle for human rights and freedom in Egypt, illustrating both the triumph of personal liberation and the continued challenges faced by many others still imprisoned.