After years of tireless struggle, hopeful anticipation, repeated disappointments, sustained diplomatic pressure, and harrowing hunger strikes, Egypt’s president has finally pardoned the nation’s most recognized political prisoner, Alaa Abd El Fattah. The announcement came Monday via a presidential statement, marking a significant turn in a long-standing case.
Mr. Abd El Fattah, 43, a prominent figure imprisoned for the majority of the last 12 years due to his dissident activities, was expected to walk free last September upon completing his five-year sentence from 2019. However, Egyptian authorities had kept him behind bars, arguing that his two years of pretrial detention did not count towards his sentence.
As of the announcement, it was not immediately clear if he had been physically released from prison.
“President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has pardoned the remaining sentences of several prisoners,” the official presidential statement declared, listing Mr. Abd El Fattah among six detainees.
The statement emphasized, “This decision reflects the state’s commitment to strengthening human rights initiatives, promoting tolerance, and offering those pardoned the opportunity to begin a new life.”
The profound concern that Mr. Abd El Fattah might be held indefinitely pushed him and his mother, Laila Soueif, to undertake desperate hunger strikes, which led to her repeated hospitalization.
Their deteriorating health amplified international pressure on Britain, where both mother and son hold dual citizenship, urging them to secure his freedom from Egypt. British officials in Cairo and London had tirelessly advocated for his release for years. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer directly addressed the case with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Despite persistent appeals from world leaders, Nobel laureates, celebrities, and activists, Mr. el-Sisi had largely remained unresponsive to calls for Mr. Abd El Fattah’s release, causing many supporters to lose hope.
“President Sisi has pardoned my brother!” exclaimed his sister, Sanaa Seif, in an emotional social media post. “OMG, I can’t believe we get our lives back!”
Ms. Seif revealed that the pardon caught her family completely by surprise.
“We learned about this just like everyone else, from the news,” she stated. “We have no idea where he is going to be released from, and are currently on our way to the prison to inquire.”
Mr. Abd El Fattah stands as the most renowned activist of his generation.
A gifted software developer and intellectual, his sharp and insightful commentary on Egypt’s 2011 Arab Spring revolution made him a leading voice chronicling its aspirations and eventual setbacks. He and his family dedicated themselves to forging a democratic Egypt, only to witness their hopes shattered two years later by a military takeover led by Mr. el-Sisi.
In a poignant March 2014 essay, he posed a critical question: “Which is easier? To avoid challenging authority and to assume its good intention? Or to persuade society that it’s absurd to try to live with an authority that allows itself murder and torture and detentions?”
Since Mr. el-Sisi assumed power in 2013, Egyptian authorities have incarcerated tens of thousands of perceived political opponents. Most endure months or even years in jail without trial or formal sentencing. Instead of releasing them after they complete the maximum legal period in pretrial detention, prosecutors frequently bring new charges and extend their confinement.
Egyptian officials have offered conflicting narratives, either denying the existence of political prisoners or defending the widespread arrests as vital for maintaining security in the aftermath of the Arab Spring’s upheaval. Many detainees have been labeled as terrorists or accused of violating laws against spreading false information.
However, whether influenced by international pressure or other factors, Mr. Abd El Fattah’s situation has taken a distinct path.
He was delisted from Egypt’s terrorist watch list earlier this summer. More recently, Mr. el-Sisi formally instructed authorities to consider a petition for his release.
Despite this, there is no absolute assurance that Mr. Abd El Fattah will remain free. He was previously released in 2019 after serving a five-year prison term, only to be rearrested six months later.
Moreover, several other prominent dissidents who were previously allowed to leave detention in recent years subsequently faced new charges, highlighting the precarious nature of such releases.