Alaa Abd el-Fattah's Long and Tortured Imprisonment in Egypt: A Battle for Independence and Freedom

Strategic Insights -

Laila Soueif, the mother of jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, remains in a London hospital in declining health on a hunger strike to secure his release. Abd el-Fattah's continued detention is part of a campaign of vengeance motivated by Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi's personal animosity towards him. The activist, who came to prominence during Egypt's 2011 Tahrir Square protests, has been jailed twice and continues to be imprisoned despite completing his five-year sentence last autumn.

Key Takeaways:

  • Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist, has been jailed twice and continues to be imprisoned despite completing his five-year sentence last autumn.
  • The Egyptian authorities regard Abd el-Fattah's detention as open-ended, holding him beyond his originally scheduled release date and also holding another potential prosecution over him.
  • The treatment of Abd el-Fattah is driven by a personal animosity directed at him and his family by Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
  • The authorities have subjected Abd el-Fattah to psychological torture, aimed at crushing his spirit and rendering him mute.
  • Abd el-Fattah's case is considered an example of making an example of him, rather than a legitimate punishment for his actions.
  • Despite attempts by British and EU officials to intervene, Egypt has faced no consequences for its human rights abuses.
  • The family of Abd el-Fattah is engaged in a battle for his release, with his mother, Laila Soueif, on a hunger strike in London.
  • Supporters of Abd el-Fattah believe that the Egyptian authorities want his absolute surrender and for him to be completely broken and mimicking the regime's narrative.

Statistics:

  • Alaa Abd el-Fattah has spent 9 years in prison, including 3 years without books and 5 years without exercise.
  • He has been denied a bed and mattress, as well as reading materials and exercise, since September 2019.
  • He has been allowed access to books and a television only after a hunger strike in 2022.
  • He has not walked in the sun for over 5 years.
  • His family has been able to monitor his mood through his response to the cats he has adopted in the prison.

Sources:

  • Peter Beaumont and Mahmoud Ahmad, "250 days on hunger strike: Can Laila Soueif secure her son's freedom? -- podcast"
  • Laila Soueif, "The mother of jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah remains in a London hospital in declining health on a hunger strike to secure his release."
  • Mona Seif, "I think after so many trials and attempts to break him, the regime has realised that the way crush to him is to isolate him from the world and render him mute."
  • Aida Seif El-Dawla, "Look, in Egypt, detention is a psychological torture. I don't know what those people are punished for except that they expressed an opinion."
  • Mahmoud Shalaby, "The whole thing is about making an example of him. He's already been brutally punished. He has spent almost 10 years in prison solely for practising his human rights."
  • Khaled Ali, "Alaa should have been released on 28 September last year. Instead, the courts have declined to include his period of pretrial detention, prior to ratification of the sentence, meaning he will not be released until 2027 -- if then."
  • Ahmed Douma, "If I could send him a message and tell him anything, I would tell him that we are with him. And that his freedom and Laila's life are our personal battle."