Press Release: Caabu welcomes the pardoning of the British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah
22 September 2025
Caabu welcomes the pardoning of the British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Alaa was arrested in 2019, accused of spreading fake news, and sentenced to five years. His release was expected in 2024 but due to changes in law on pre-trial detention terms, this was not the case.
His mother Leila Soueif went on hunger strike in Britain to campaign for his release, while Alaa also went on hunger strike from prison, in solidarity with his mother.
Caabu has long been calling for the UK government to do everything in its power to ensure Alaa’s release. This includes hosting a press conference in our offices with the Soueif family, as well as continually working with other human rights and civil society organisations through urgent appeals, joint letters, and organising parliamentary briefings. Most recently Caabu hosted Ala’s mother, Laila Soueif at a briefing in Parliament.
It is high time that Alaa is out of prison so he can be with his family at long last. Caabu calls on the UK government to do everything it can to ensure that he can arrive in the UK safely.
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Notes to editors:
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