Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has granted a presidential pardon to Alaa Abdel Fattah, the British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist who has spent much of the past decade in prison, according to state media and family members.
Abdel Fattah was one of six detainees whose sentences were commuted following a petition by the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR).
His sister, Mona Seif, shared the news on X with an emotional message: “My heart will explode.” His lawyer, Khaled Ali, confirmed the pardon in a Facebook post, saying Abdel Fattah would be released from Wadi al-Natrun prison, northwest of Cairo, once the decree is officially published.
Family Reactions
Another sister, Sanaa Seif, also celebrated online: “President Sisi has pardoned my brother! Mum and I are heading to the prison now to inquire from where Alaa will be released and when… OMG I can’t believe we get our lives back!”
The NCHR welcomed the move as “a step that underscores a growing commitment to reinforcing swift justice and protecting fundamental rights and freedoms.”
Years Behind Bars
The 43-year-old blogger and activist, a leading figure of Egypt’s 2011 revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, has become one of the country’s most recognizable political prisoners.
He was arrested in 2019—just months after completing a five-year sentence—and in 2021 was convicted of “spreading false news” over a Facebook post about the alleged torture-related death of a fellow inmate.
His family insisted he should have been freed in September 2024, but authorities refused to count his two years in pre-trial detention toward time served.
Although Abdel Fattah acquired British citizenship in 2021, Egypt consistently denied him consular access.
International Pressure
The activist and his family have repeatedly resorted to hunger strikes to draw global attention. In 2022, during Egypt’s hosting of the UN climate summit (COP27), Abdel Fattah staged a high-profile strike that spurred international pressure and improved his prison conditions.
His mother, Leila Soueif, a 68-year-old British citizen, also waged a nine-month hunger strike in 2023–24, consuming only tea, coffee, and rehydration salts. She lost more than 40% of her body weight before ending the protest after UK officials assured her they were intensifying efforts for her son’s release.
A Symbol of Egypt’s Democratic Struggle
Since President Sisi seized power in 2014 following the military’s removal of Egypt’s first democratically elected leader, Abdel Fattah has spent most of his time in prison or detention. His case has become emblematic of Egypt’s crackdown on dissent.
In May 2025, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Abdel Fattah had been “arbitrarily arrested for exercising his right to freedom of expression, denied a fair trial, and detained solely for his political views.” Cairo rejected the findings, insisting due process had been followed and that his sentence was set to run until January 2027.
Now, with the presidential pardon, one of Egypt’s most famous dissidents is finally set to walk free.
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