Civil Society Groups Demand Release of Leading Egyptian Activist, Reports Reuters

Egyptian and international civil society organizations have united in calling for the release of renowned activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, following revelations from his lawyer that he could remain in detention until 2027. Abd el-Fattah, an Egyptian-British software developer and blogger, has been imprisoned since 2019 and had hoped to be released after serving five years on September 29.

In 2021, he was sentenced to five years on charges related to spreading false information through a social media post. However, according to Abd el-Fattah’s lawyer, authorities do not intend to count his pretrial detention time towards his overall sentence, further extending his imprisonment.

A coalition of 59 civil society groups issued a statement asserting that failing to release Abd el-Fattah by the specified date would contravene Egypt’s criminal procedure laws. As of now, officials have not provided any comments regarding the situation or the planned release date.

His mother, Laila Soueif, shared plans to visit her son on the upcoming Sunday for their monthly meeting, mentioning that during her last visit, he seemed hopeful about his release. “He has been telling me for a month to stop bringing books in order to empty the prison cell,” she noted. She expressed a belief in acting as if positive outcomes would occur, explaining, “And when they don’t happen, we protest.”

Alaa Abd el-Fattah gained recognition during the 2011 Arab Spring, which led to the ousting of then-President Hosni Mubarak. Since his arrest in 2014, he has been largely imprisoned, symbolizing the plight of many who rights organizations claim have been unjustly incarcerated in a widespread crackdown on dissent across various political groups.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s administration, which has enforced this crackdown, insists that maintaining security and stability is of utmost importance, while also asserting that steps are being taken to protect citizens’ rights.

In 2022, shortly after acquiring British citizenship, Abd el-Fattah gained international awareness by initiating a hunger strike during Egypt’s hosting of the COP27 climate summit, with his family later revealing that he was nearing death when he ultimately ended the strike.