Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi on Monday granted a pardon to prominent activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, according to a presidential statement.
The statement said al-Sissi had pardoned several convicted individuals after completing the necessary constitutional and legal procedures, listing Abdel-Fattah’s name alongside five others.
Abdel-Fattah, a central figure in Egypt’s 2011 anti-government protests, had been expected to regain his freedom after completing his sentence in September 2024 but remained in custody.
Two weeks earlier, the National Council for Human Rights had submitted a petition to al-Sissi requesting a presidential pardon for Abdel-Fattah and several others.
Abdel-Fattah, who also holds British citizenship, has staged multiple hunger strikes over the past year. His mother, Laila Soueif, also carried out a prolonged hunger strike.
In 2013, Abdel-Fattah was arrested during a protest and sentenced to five years in prison. Months after his release, he was detained again and handed another five-year sentence on charges of spreading false news, which his family insist are politically motivated.
(NAN)