In brief
Alaa Abdel Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist, was prevented from boarding a flight to the UK despite holding valid passports. This incident has sparked concerns over his freedom of movement post-release from prison, where he was held for years in association with political dissent against the Egyptian government. The UK government is actively advocating for his return.
British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah was stopped from flying to the UK by Egyptian passport control earlier this week, his family says.
Mr. Abdel Fattah, 43, was Egypt's best known political prisoner until seven weeks ago, when he was released from jail after being granted a pardon by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.
He attempted to fly to London on Tuesday with his sister Sanaa, but was told by officials at Cairo International Airport that he was not allowed to travel. They blocked him from boarding the flight and I had to go alone, Sanaa told the BBC's Today programme on Friday. There was no immediate comment from the Egyptian government.
Sanaa expressed her frustration, stating, They didn't explain much. Our lawyers in Egypt are trying to understand the legal grounds. She highlighted that her brother had his British passport as well as a recently renewed Egyptian passport, assuming that this would allow him to travel freely.
Alaa's son, Khaled, lives in the UK with his mother and has been attending a special needs school. Khaled had recently visited his father in Cairo following his release but has returned to the UK. We're really glad to have [Alaa] back in our lives partially free, but he needs to have freedom of movement to live with his son, reunited with him properly, Sanaa added.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has communicated with the family regarding this issue, emphasizing that President Sisi's decision to pardon Abdel Fattah was a significant step forward. They continue to press for his urgent return to the UK.
On a recent notable occasion, Alaa Abdel Fattah and his mother received the 2025 Magnitsky Award, although Sanaa had to accept it on their behalf. Alaa rose to prominence during the 2011 uprising that ousted long-time President Hosni Mubarak and has since faced numerous legal battles under the current government's crackdown on dissent.
