Rights experts demand Egypt urgently release Alaa Abdel-Fattah

A group of UN-affiliated human rights experts on Thursday called on Egypt to immediately release jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, as fears grow for the life of his mother, who is on hunger strike in protest at his incarceration.

Abdel Fattah, a major opposition figure during the 2011 revolution and vocal critic of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has spent most of the past 14 years in police detention or prison on terror charges, which activists say are fabricated.

Egyptian authorities were supposed to release him in September after he completed his five-year sentence, but now say he will remain behind bars until 2027.

“We urge the Egyptian authorities to release Mr. El-Fattah immediately given the arbitrary and unlawful nature of his detention and the deteriorating health of his mother,” the rights experts said in a statement.

Abdel Fattah’s mother, Laila Soueif, 68, has been on hunger strike for almost five months to protest her son’s continued detention and her health is now rapidly deteriorating.

She was hospitalised in London on Monday with low blood-sugar levels and is refusing glucose treatment.

St. Thomas’ hospital said there is now an “immediate risk to life” and “in particular at high risk of sudden death” should she continue abstaining from food. 

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy have repeatedly raised his case with the Egyptian government but have been unable even to secure consular access.  

Starmer met with the family two weeks ago and pledged to do everything he could to secure his release.

“Mr. El-Fattah remains in prison despite having completed his most recent sentence on 29 September 2024 because Egyptian authorities refuse to acknowledge the time he spent in pre-trial detention,” they said.

“Egypt must halt its flagrant crackdown on freedom of expression and respect its obligations under international human rights law.”

The statement was signed by four human rights experts serving as special rapporteurs for the UN Human Rights Council.

This comes amid speculation in Egypt that the government may pardon political prisoners and journalists ahead of the start of Ramadan.

Amnesty International last week called on authorities to free the dozens of people detained on terror-related charges for posting anti-Sisi content online.