Egypt’s president pardons Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah

By Tarek Chouiref

ISTANBUL (AA) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday issued a presidential pardon for Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, local media said.

The 43-year-old was among six prisoners covered by the decree that annulled the remainder of their sentences, the state-run Al-Qahera News channel reported.

Abdel-Fattah had been serving a five-year term on charges of publishing “false news.”

Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights said it had recently submitted a petition calling for clemency in several cases after receiving appeals from families. The council said such steps would provide “vital moral support” to relatives and help restore stability to their lives.

Abdel-Fattah rose to prominence during Egypt’s 2011 uprising that ousted long-serving President Hosni Mubarak.

He spent much of the past decade moving in and out of detention, most recently jailed in 2019 and sentenced in 2021. While in prison, he obtained British citizenship, prompting calls from London and rights groups for his release.