Al-Sissi pardons prominent Egyptian activist Abdel-Fattah

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi issued a pardon on Monday for prominent activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, a presidential statement said.

The step took observers by surprise and sparked speculation that Abdel-Fattah, 43, was being exchanged for an Egyptian national being held by the United Kingdom.

The president had pardoned “a number of convicted people, after taking the constitutional and legal procedures in this regard,” the presidential statement said, listing Abdel-Fattah’s name along with five others.

Abdel-Fattah, a key figure in Egypt’s 2011 uprising that brought down the government of late Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak, was expected to be released from prison after his sentence ended in September 2024, but has remained in custody.

He was detained in 2013 during a protest against more stringent legislation curbing the right to demonstrate and has been in prison ever since. His family describes as politically motivated allegations made against him of disseminating fake news.

Years-long diplomatic pressure unsuccessful

The Egyptian authorities have refused to recognize the British citizenship granted Abdel-Fattah in 2021. Repeated requests by successive British prime ministers have been unsuccessful, and consular protection has also been denied.

The London-based Guardian newspaper reported in June that al-Sissi had refused to take a phone call from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding the issue, which overshadowed the COP27 world climate conference held in Egypt in 2022.

A diplomatic crisis between Cairo and London could have sparked al-Sissi’s decision. An Egyptian government supporter was recently detained in London after he apparently confronted demonstrators in front of the Egyptian embassy.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atti has sought the man’s release, and there has been speculation of a swap for Abdel-Fattah.

Abdel-Fattah’s sister Sanaa, who is currently in Cairo, said she had heard of his pending release from news reports. “I can’t believe that we are getting our lives back,” she posted on X.

Abdel-Fattah’s other sister wrote: “My heart will explode.”

More than 60,000 people are being held for political reasons in Egypt according to a 2022 estimate. Demonstrations are effectively banned, and there are reports of torture and other abuse of those imprisoned.

But many have also been pardoned, including prominent human rights activist Patrick George Zaki.

Abdel-Fattah had gone on hunger strike a number of times, with one starting earlier this year after his mother, who lives in London, was admitted to hospital. She had herself gone on hunger strike in protest at her son’s detention.