Abd El-Fattah’s return, which Starmer described as a “profound relief,” was described as “profound relief” by Starmer on Friday. He had been detained for several years before and was pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in September.
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“I want to pay tribute to Alaa’s family and all those who have worked and campaigned for this moment,” Starmer said. Since we have been in office, my government has prioritized Alaa’s case. President Sisi deserves my appreciation for making the pardon.
Following a number of hunger strikes and calls for his release, the Egyptian-British writer was the most well-known of the six prisoners who was pardoned by el-Sisi this year.
Prior to the uprising against former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, the former blogger had previously been imprisoned in 2011. He later became a vocal critic of El-Sisi, who seized power in a 2013 military takeover.
Abd El-Fattah was convicted of spreading false information and given a 15-year prison sentence in 2014. He was then temporarily released in 2019 and given a further five years.
Egyptian authorities refute Egyptian authorities’ claims that they are political prisoners, citing the government’s claim that it only imprisons lawbreakers.
After being released in September, Abd El-Fattah faced a travel ban like other prisoners who had been freed. However, he announced his departure from Egypt in a cryptic post on X on Friday, saying, “Is it possible, kids, that we will say bye?”
Abd El-Fattah’s release was requested by the British government, but it was criticized for not putting enough pressure on El-Sisi’s government, which has ties to both the UK and the US.
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Source: Aljazeera
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