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Prominent Activist Remains In Unjust Detention for Social Media Post

Alaa Abdel Fattah is a British-Egyptian technologist, author, and one of the leading voices of Egypt’s 2011 revolution. In December 2021, he was sentenced to five years in prison for "spreading false news" after sharing a social media post. His sentence legally ended on September 29, 2024, but authorities refused to release him, citing time spent in pretrial detention — a justification ruled illegal by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

His mother, Dr. Laila Soueif, a respected academic and longtime human rights defender, began a hunger strike that same day. By mid-2025, she had been hospitalized in London in critical condition. She only ended her hunger strike after her children begged her to stop. The doctor had told them she was in critical condition and might not survive another 24 hours.

Alaa's case symbolizes the criminalization of peaceful dissent in Egypt and the severe cost borne by those who dare to speak out.

Urge President al-Sisi to immediately release Alaa Abdel Fattah - send your email using our email-writing tool.

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President

Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein

Khalil el-Sisi

Arab Republic of Egypt

Dear President al‑Sisi,

I am writing to demand the immediate and unconditional release of British-Egyptian writer Alaa Abdel Fattah, who completed his five-year sentence on September 29, 2024, but remains imprisoned in Egypt under unjust and unlawful conditions.

Alaa was sentenced for peacefully expressing his views on social media. His continued detention violates Egypt’s legal obligations and the findings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which determined that his imprisonment is unlawful.

His mother, Dr. Laila Soueif, had been on hunger strike since the day his sentence ended. She only ended her hunger strike after her children begged her to stop. The doctor had told them she was in critical condition and might not survive another 24 hours. Her peaceful protest reflects the desperation of a family facing prolonged injustice.

I urge you to:
-Release Alaa Abdel Fattah immediately and unconditionally.
-Count his pretrial detention toward time served.
-Ensure access to books, family, legal counsel, and sunlight.

Writers should be celebrated, not silenced. This case endangers Egypt’s global reputation and violates basic human rights.

Sincerely,

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