Keir Starmer says Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah back in UK

UK PM calls accomplishment of blogger and Egyptian authorities critic, who spent 12 years successful prison, ‘profound relief’.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the Egyptian-British activistic and blogger Alaa Abd El-Fattah has returned to the United Kingdom aft spending astir 12 years arsenic a governmental captive successful Egypt.

Starmer connected Friday called the instrumentality of Abd El-Fattah, who was pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi successful September aft years of detention, a “profound relief”.

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“I privation to wage tribute to Alaa’s household and to each those that person worked and campaigned for this moment,” Starmer said. “Alaa’s lawsuit has been a apical precedence for my authorities since we came to office. I’m grateful to President Sisi for his determination to assistance the pardon.”

The Egyptian-British writer was the astir good known of six prisoners pardoned by el-Sisi this twelvemonth aft a bid of hunger strikes and calls from planetary groups and leaders for his freedom.

The erstwhile blogger had been antecedently jailed successful 2011 during Egypt’s uprising against erstwhile person Hosni Mubarak. He aboriginal emerged arsenic an outspoken professional of el-Sisi, who seized powerfulness successful a military coup successful 2013.

Abd El-Fattah was fixed a 15-year situation condemnation successful 2014 connected charges of spreading mendacious quality earlier being temporarily released successful 2019 and fixed different five-year condemnation the aforesaid year.

Egyptian authorities contradict holding governmental prisoners and reason that the authorities lone jails activists for breaking the law.

Like different freed detainees, Abd El-Fattah faced a question prohibition aft his merchandise successful September. But aboriginal connected Friday, helium wrote a cryptic station connected X announcing his departure from Egypt: “Is it possible, kids, that we volition accidental bye?”

The British authorities had antecedently expressed interest implicit Abd El-Fattah’s information successful situation and called for his merchandise but faced disapproval that it had not applied capable unit connected el-Sisi’s government, which has close ties with some the UK and the United States.

“Praise beryllium to God, Alaa reached London safely,” his mother, Laila Soueif, said successful a societal media station connected Friday.