A coalition of Egyptian political figures, activists, lawyers, and journalists has called for the immediate release of Alaa Abdel Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist currently imprisoned in Egypt. This plea comes as Abdel Fattah, who has been on a hunger strike for over four months, faces severe health complications, with his family reporting that his mother is in a critical condition due to the prolonged protest.
Abdel Fattah, 43, is one of the most prominent figures in Egypt’s 2011 uprising that helped oust former President Hosni Mubarak. He was sentenced in 2019 to five years in prison for “spreading false news” after sharing a Facebook post about alleged torture in Egyptian prisons. His sentence was expected to end in September 2024, but his family claims Egyptian authorities unlawfully began counting his prison time from his sentencing date, not his arrest, contravening local legal norms.
The activists’ call for his release underscores growing concerns about human rights in Egypt, where Abdel Fattah remains a symbol of dissent. As his health deteriorates, international pressure mounts for his release and for an end to the unjust detention of political prisoners.
