43-year-old Egyptian British activist Ala Abdel-Fatah is re-gaining momentum for the release of Ala Abdel-Fatah.
This week, the United Nations Working Group said on arbitrary detention, or Unggad that Abdel-Fatah’s continuous imprisonment is illegal in Egypt. After 18 months of investigation, the group argued that no warrant or explanation existed at the time of arrest, and that Abdel-Fatah was imprisoned to exercise freedom of its freedom-successful right of its expression in Egypt.
ReportClosing with a call on the Egyptian government “to take necessary steps to overcome the situation without delay … Abdel-Fatah gives him an immediate release and gives him an applied right to compensation and oth replication according to international law.”
Cairo has not yet been commented on the ruling, but for Abdel-Fattah’s family, located in London, the report is “in a significant moment,” Omar Hamilton, the cousin of Abdel-Fattah told DW.
Abdel-Fattah’s mother, Leela Seaf, has been on hunger strike in support of her son’s release for about 250 days. This week, the 69 -year -old British citizen’s health deteriorated on a large scale.
“Our family is in the hospital every day,” Hamilton told DW. “When we are doing what we can do to keep him as comfortable as possible, he is very strong and very firm.”
Last week, British Prime Minister Kir Strandmer also increased his support. Strander called Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi for the second time to discuss the situation of Aitha Abdel-Fatah, the British citizen Sion 2022. Called for apologetic And said that the Egyptian government was hurting the family a lot. Neither more details, nor Egyptian reactions were published.
According to the British newspaper MentorA diplomatic source said that Egypt does not believe in Abdel-Fatta’s dual citizenship.
The activist has been imprisoned for almost a decade. In 2015, he was sent for five years to participate in the 2013 opposition. In September 2019, he was rearranged during a broader crack on political dissatisfaction. And sentenced to five years in December 2021 for “spreading false news”.
Instead of releasing him at the end of his sentence in September 2024, if you count his pretense custody, the authorities ordered him to be kept in jail by 3 January 2027. He argued that he should not count two years to the sentence of two years spent in pretial dating, even Egypt’s Legal Pratiel Langwe in the time period.
Abdel-Fatah started a hunger strike a few 100 days ago.
‘Time out is running’ for the activist’s mother
In addition to the latest report by the United Nations and support by Strandmer, the score of human rights organizations, for the release of Abdel-Fatah, has resumed the #Freealaa on social media and the political campaign on social media.
Earlier this week, 21 rights organizations including English Penn and Human Rights Watch sentJoint letter Egyptian President L-Sisi.
One of the signators, UK director of Human Rights Watch, Yasmin Ahmed told DW that “time is running out”.
He said, “Head writers and activists have been illegally expanding in Egypt for more than a decade as his mother Leela faces a adjacent risk of death at a hospital in London,” she said. “To take political and diplomatic advantage to the UK government, you have to pursue Egypt to release British citizen Ala Abdel-Fatah”.
While Abdel-Fatah can be the most prominent political prisoners in Egypt, he is only one away. Rights organizations estimate that 65,000 and 70,000 are placed behind bars between political prisoners. However, Egypt has never described a number and most of them consider the prisoners as “terrorists”.
Meanwhile, the latest report by Egyptian National Council for Human Rights, which was established in 2003 to pursue the National Human Rights Strategy of Egypt, said “Remarkable progress“On civil and political rights for the period from June 2023 to June 2024.
“Nevertheless, many human rights issues remain and require quick efforts and early action to remove the challenges associated,” the report said.
Egyptian status in Egypt
For Christian Achrener, a researcher from the University of Roskilde, Denmark, who has published on Egypt on a large scale, hollow for the thesis word and intense efforts of Pragati.
“Human rights situation in Egypt has not changed much, it is still very bad,” he told DW.
In his view, any of the government bodies working to improve the country’s human rights situation has had a positive impact.
“Little positive events have been combated with other measures,” said Aksharener. “Some political prisoners were released, while others were rebuilt again.”
“In general, freedom of press and freedom of expression is extremely restricted, and people are imprisoned to express their opinion,” said Achrener.
Egyptian political rivalry
Despite the increase in international attention and calls for the release of Abdel-Fatah, Egypt is “not affected,” Achrener sees.
“Cahira is original about his very good conversation status with Europe at the moment,” Hey explained.
“In 2024, the multi-Arab Euro Migration Deal clearly shows that Europe is ready to look at human rights issues in another way if Egypt ensures that less refugees and migrants come to Europe.”
Therefore, Cairo’s contact with all the parties for the conflict in Gaza, the fight against terrorism, economic interests and a possible role in conflict neighboring countries such as Libya and Sudan promote Egyptian positions as a major player in the region.
“All the governments know that it is not compelled to work in the case [Abdel-Fattah] Or in general in the field of human rights, “Achrener said.
‘All political prisoners should be freed’
Despite the situation of this direct rights, Egypt has B -up -petitions and official telegram who are asking for the release of Abdel -Fatah for the presidency with his name and address, Omar Hamilton told DW.
“And people from all over the world protest and protest,” said.
Since Leela Soif has been admitted to the hospital last Thursday, Abdel-Fattah’s family and supporters gather daily in front of St. Thomas Hospital in London.
Hamilton said, “There is an incredible amount of energy from all over the world.” “And not only us, but all the people believe that the ala must be freed, real that all political prisoners should be freed.”
Edited by: Carla Blekar
