Keir Starmer has spoken with Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi amid reports that officials in Cairo are considering an internal request to grant a presidential pardon for the release of British-Egyptian human rights activist and writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah. His British-based family have declined to comment publicly, saying only that they are praying for his release. Downing Street’s summary of the call highlighted discussions on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, preparations for a UN conference on a two-state solution, and future bilateral ties, while confirming that Abd el-Fattah’s case remains a Foreign Office priority.
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Hopes of a breakthrough followed a statement from Egypt’s National Human Rights Council, which this week urged the release of Abd el-Fattah and six other prisoners. The council argued that a pardon would help restore the stability and wellbeing of their families. It is expected that President Sisi will take a decision in the coming days. Abd el-Fattah has been detained since 2019 and was later sentenced to five years in prison on charges of spreading false news, after endorsing a social media post about the death of a detainee.
The activist’s mother, Laila Soueif, a professor at Cairo University, staged a hunger strike in the UK last year, before halting it in July 2024 following appeals from her family and assurances from the Foreign Office that progress was being made. In July, a Cairo court agreed to remove Abd el-Fattah’s name from Egypt’s terrorism list, raising cautious optimism among supporters. His family say he has already served more than his sentence, with time spent in pre-trial detention not properly counted. They stress that his release would allow him to reunite with his teenage son in Brighton and with his two sisters, who continue to campaign for his freedom.
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The National Human Rights Council framed its appeal as a humanitarian measure, citing the psychological and social toll on relatives. It emphasised that a pardon falls within the president’s constitutional powers, describing such an act as both a moral gesture and a sign of concern for the integrity of Egyptian families. Meanwhile, Egypt’s attorney general and interior ministry have submitted reports on Abd el-Fattah’s case, assessing the legal grounds for clemency. Early indications, according to sources close to the family, have been cautiously positive, fuelling the strongest hopes yet for his release after six years in custody.
