The family of a jailed British-Egyptian activist held a vigil outside the foreign ministry in London on Monday. The purpose was to highlight the call made by 100 British lawmakers for “fresh approaches” in securing his release.
Alaa Abdel Fattah, a pro-democracy and rights campaigner, is currently serving a five-year prison sentence. His conviction came as a result of “spreading false news” through a Facebook post concerning police brutality.
Abdel Fattah played a significant role in the 2011 revolt that led to the ousting of Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak. In 2022, he was granted British citizenship due to his British-born mother.
Despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak directly raising the case with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the COP27 climate summit in November last year, there has been little progress. This lack of advancement has raised concerns among lawmakers from both the lower and upper houses of the UK parliament.
In a letter submitted to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, the lawmakers expressed their dissatisfaction. They emphasized the need for “fresh approaches” since private lobbying of the Egyptian government, even at the highest levels, has failed to yield results.
French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden also addressed Abdel Fattah’s case with President el-Sisi, raising human rights issues.
Mona Seif, Abdel Fattah’s sister stated that the family expects the British government to prioritize his case. She stated, “We are asking them to shift gear. They have been using this approach of soft diplomacy and raising Alaa’s case for over a year-and-a-half now and they haven’t received anything in return.”
Under President el-Sisi’s rule, rights groups estimate that over 60,000 individuals deemed “prisoners of conscience” have been imprisoned in Egypt.
Abdel Fattah had been on a hunger strike for seven months during the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. On the day the conference began, he even started refusing water.
British lawmakers are urging the UK to take the lead in issuing a joint statement on Egypt at the UN Human Rights Council. Additionally, they call for updating the UK’s travel advice to align it with the United States advisory.
The US government warns that US citizenship does not provide protection against detention or arrest in Egypt. Detained individuals may be subjected to prolonged interrogations and extended detention.
Mona Attah believes that a joint statement on Egypt at the UN Human Rights Council would be effective in pressuring the Egyptian government. She stated, “We know that a lot of countries would be willing to join in on a statement… but it needs to be led by the UK government because they have a higher stake, they have one of their citizens in arbitrary detention.”
The lawmakers’ letter also highlights the British embassy in Cairo being denied access to visit Abdel Fattah in jail for the past 18 months. Laila Soueif, Abdel Fattah’s mother and a mathematician, finds this situation unacceptable and questions why the UK government has been unable to secure the visit.
