Civil Society Groups Urge Release of Egyptian Activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah

Egyptian and international civil society groups demand the release of activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who may remain detained until 2027. Despite a five-year sentence in 2021 on charges of spreading false news, his prolonged detention has sparked calls for his release by Sept. 29 to comply with Egyptian law.

On Thursday, Egyptian and international civil society groups called for the release of the country's most prominent activist, Alaa Abd el-Fattah. His lawyer indicated that Abd el-Fattah, who has been detained since 2019, could remain in detention until 2027.

In 2021, Abd el-Fattah was sentenced to five years in prison for spreading false news after sharing a social media post. However, his lawyer stated this month that authorities would not count his pretrial detention period towards his release.

A coalition of 59 civil society groups argued that not releasing Abd el-Fattah by Sept. 29 would violate Egypt's criminal procedure code. Authorities have not commented on his release date, and did not respond to requests for comments.

Abd el-Fattah's mother, Laila Soueif, planned to visit him on Sunday, noting he seemed optimistic about being freed. He rose to prominence during the 2011 Arab Spring and has been almost continuously imprisoned since 2014, symbolizing a broader crackdown on dissidents.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has led the crackdown, maintains that security and stability are crucial while the state is enhancing citizens' rights. In 2022, Abd el-Fattah staged a global awareness hunger strike during Egypt's hosting of the COP27 climate summit, which nearly cost him his life.

(With inputs from agencies.)