On Monday, September 22, 2025, Egypt’s most prominent political prisoner, Alaa Abd el-Fattah, was finally granted a presidential pardon by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, marking the end of a harrowing chapter that stretched over a decade. The news, reported by BBC, Democracy Now!, and other international outlets, sent ripples of hope through Egypt’s activist community and beyond, as Alaa reunited with his family in Giza after years of separation, state persecution, and international advocacy.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British-Egyptian software developer, writer, and activist, first rose to prominence during the 2011 Arab Spring. He was a leading voice in the protests that toppled the Mubarak regime, advocating for democracy and civil rights. Yet, the euphoria of those days was short-lived. Following the 2013 military coup led by el-Sisi, Alaa became a symbol of resistance—and of the state’s relentless crackdown on dissent. As Democracy Now! noted, he spent most of the last 12 years in prison, repeatedly targeted under various pretexts by successive governments.
The latest ordeal began in 2014, when Alaa was sentenced to five years in prison for participating in an unauthorized protest. After his release in 2019, he was rearrested within months, along with his lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer, and held in pre-trial detention for more than two years—an act that violated Egypt’s own laws, as highlighted by the BBC. In December 2021, he was convicted again, this time on charges of “spreading false news” for sharing a post about a prisoner dying of torture. Human rights organizations condemned the trial as grossly unfair, citing denial of access to evidence and the inability to appeal the sentence. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded in May 2025 that Alaa’s arrest was arbitrary and his trial lacked due process.
Throughout his imprisonment, Alaa’s family became tireless advocates for his release. His mother, Laila Soueif—a renowned Egyptian activist and mathematics professor—launched a 287-day hunger strike in September 2024, a desperate act that pushed her health to the brink. She ended the strike in July 2025 after being hospitalized in London, having received assurances from the UK government that every effort was being made to secure her son’s freedom. “I can’t even describe what I feel,” she told reporters upon Alaa’s release, according to the BBC. “We’re happy, of course. But our greatest joy will come when there are no [political] prisoners in Egypt.”
The family’s struggle was not theirs alone. Alaa’s sisters, Mona and Sanaa Seif, became leading voices in the international campaign to free him. Mona, speaking to the BBC from the UK, described his release as “a moment of collective hope.” She added, “There might be a revision to the state of the thousands and thousands of people who are languishing in prison for years and are waiting for the same kind of happiness, to be reunited with their family.” Sanaa, interviewed at the family home, echoed this joy and disbelief: “I cannot yet comprehend that this is real and that Alaa is with us. I guess it will feel more real when we go to sleep, wake up and find him present, and when his son arrives here from traveling. I’m really happy.”
The campaign to free Alaa drew widespread international support. British lawmakers and human rights groups urged the UK government to pressure Egypt, especially after Alaa acquired British citizenship in 2021. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper publicly welcomed the pardon, stating, “We look forward to Alaa being able to return to the UK, to be reunited with his family.” Yet, Egypt repeatedly denied consular visits by British diplomats, and the government insisted that Alaa had been afforded “all fair trial rights”—a claim rejected by both the UN and international observers.
The turning point came earlier this month, when the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) submitted an appeal to President el-Sisi, citing the humanitarian and health conditions of the prisoners’ families. The NCHR’s letter, as reported by various sources, emphasized the president’s “personal concern for the integrity of the Egyptian family, especially vulnerable groups (children, persons with disabilities, women and the elderly).” The appeal was accepted, and the presidential pardon annulled the remainder of Alaa’s sentence, as well as those of five other prisoners. The decree was published in the official gazette, clearing the way for their release.
But why now? Observers, including historian Vijay Prashad, have speculated that the decision was influenced by mounting internal and external pressures. Domestically, opposition to el-Sisi has been on the rise, fueled by the government’s handling of the Gaza crisis and the closure of the Rafah border crossing. The Egyptian security forces’ crackdown on participants in the Global March to Gaza, and the military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula amid escalating regional tensions, have further strained the regime’s standing. As Prashad commented on X, “Welcome to Alaa Abd El-Fattah from the dungeons of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. I hope this means that the public pressure in Egypt will result in some kind of merciful treatment toward the Palestinians. Where is the Egyptian army when it can so easily enforce a no-fly zone over Gaza? One step at a time, but then the next step please…?”
For many, Alaa’s release is both a cause for celebration and a sober reminder of the ongoing struggle. Journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous, speaking to Democracy Now!, remarked, “Alaa is free, but he doesn’t have justice. There’s still so many thousands of political prisoners in Egypt, including dozens who are behind bars simply for speaking out in solidarity with Palestine and against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.” The NCHR, for its part, described the pardon as “a step that underscores a growing commitment to reinforcing the principles of swift justice and upholding fundamental rights and freedoms.” Egyptian human rights lawyer Ahmed Ragheb expressed hope that this move would “pave the way for granting amnesty to those who have been sentenced in cases related to freedom of expression.”
As Alaa celebrated his first night at home in 11 years, the world watched with cautious optimism. His 13-year-old son Khaled, who lives in Brighton, has grown up without his father. Mona Seif voiced the family’s longing for a future where Alaa can “take Khaled to school, to the beach, to do all the things they have been robbed of the opportunity to do.” Yet, the broader hope remains for the thousands still imprisoned for their beliefs. “Our greatest joy will come when there are no political prisoners in Egypt,” Laila Soueif emphasized—a sentiment that resonates far beyond the family’s apartment in Giza.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s release is a testament to the power of resilience, solidarity, and the enduring fight for justice. But as his family and supporters know all too well, the struggle for freedom in Egypt is far from over.