Alaa Abd El Fattah’s family request amnesty for imprisoned activist as his mother continues hunger strike

The family of imprisoned political activist and writer Alaa Abd El Fattah submitted a request for a presidential pardon earlier this week, the family’s lawyer, Khaled Ali, told Mada Masr. 

The request was delivered to the presidency through a group of prominent political figures.

The request, signed by Abd El Fattah’s sisters, Mona and Sanaa, comes amid growing concerns for the health of their mother Laila Soueif, 68, who has been on a total hunger strike for over two months, Ali said.

Soueif is protesting her son’s continued detention. Abd El Fattah was due to be released on September 29, having completed his five year sentence.

Abd El Fattah’s sisters fear the elongation of their mother’s hunger strike could cause her to suffer serious health complications.

Soueif announced her hunger strike in early October, condemning what she called the “Egyptian authorities’ crime” against her son, who holds dual Egyptian and British citizenship. She described his detention as unlawful, stating he is effectively being “kidnapped.”

Soueif has criticized what she described as the British government’s complicity with its Egyptian counterpart in prolonging Abd El Fattah’s detention and petitioned British authorities to intervene.

Ali noted that this is the third pardon request the family has submitted to the presidency, while human rights organizations have also submitted amnesty appeals.

Abd El Fattah remains in custody despite serving his full five-year sentence, which officially ended on September 29. The Public Prosecution has refused to count the two years he spent in remand detention as part of his sentence, in violation of the law.