Egypt activist Abdel Fattah from terror list

An Egyptian court has removed jailed activist Alaa Abdel Fattah from the country’s terrorism list, according to AFP. The decision lifts restrictions such as an asset freeze and travel ban, though it remains unclear whether it will lead to his release.

A dual Egyptian-British national, Abdel Fattah rose to prominence during Egypt’s 2011 uprising but has spent much of the past decade in prison. He completed a five-year sentence in 2023 for “spreading false news” but has remained in detention without new charges.

The Cairo Criminal Court cited the absence of evidence linking him to the banned Muslim Brotherhood. The ruling follows increased public pressure, including a 10-month hunger strike by his mother, Laila Soueif, and a partial strike by Abdel Fattah himself.

A UN panel has deemed his detention arbitrary, and the UK has repeatedly urged his release, most recently in talks between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.