Egypt pardons activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah after six years in prison

CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pardoned prominent Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah on Sept. 22, 2025, after six years in prison and a sustained cycle of hunger strikes that drew international pleas for his release. Abd el-Fattah, 43, became Egypt’s most recognizable political prisoner, emblematic of a broader crackdown on dissent under Sisi's rule.

Abd el-Fattah's detention spans much of his adult life. He was jailed in 2014 for protesting without a permit, with a sentence later reduced from 15 years to five. He was released in 2019 but remained on parole and was arrested again later that year on charges including spreading false news after posting about a prisoner's death, leading to another five-year term. He spent years in and out of detention, with his name removed from Egypt's terrorism list months before the pardon.

His case drew renewed international attention during Egypt's COP27 presidency and later campaigns by his mother, Laila Soueif, who traveled to Britain and met Prime Minister Keir Starmer to press for his release. In 2021 Abd el-Fattah obtained British citizenship through his mother, a fact that complicated the government's handling of his case for some observers. Earlier this year he suggested he might renounce his dual nationality if consular efforts were not recognized as a pathway to release.

Egypt's decision to pardon Abd el-Fattah comes as rights groups urged Western governments to press for due process and the release of political prisoners. While supporters welcomed the move as a humanitarian gesture and a rare concession to international pressure, critics argued it did not address the broader crackdown on dissent that has intensified under Sisi.

Officials said Abd el-Fattah would be released from detention pending the formal paperwork of the pardon, and his family welcomed the news. The case underscores how international campaigns, including advocacy by his mother and foreign leaders, intersect with Egypt's internal security priorities. The pardon may influence future discussions about political prisoners and the limits on protest in Egypt, though many rights groups say the underlying restrictions remain intact.