FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

28 July 2022

#WhereisAlaa - URGENT ACTION CALL ON UK SECRETARY TRUSS TO TAKE DECISIVE

ACTION FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ALAA ABD EL-FATTAH

Sit-in planned for Friday, 29 July, 2022 from 4-6 at the

British embassy, Beirut
To read more about Alaa’s case, visit: https://freealaa.net/
#SaveAlaa #FreeAlaa

Supporters of Alaa Abd El-Fattah Call for the Immediate Release of Imprisoned British-Egyptian citizen and
‘Blogger of the Arab Spring’

Dual British-Egyptian national, activist, writer, and software developer Alaa Abd El-Fattah — imprisoned in
Egypt to silence his activism — faces the risk of death unless the United Kingdom Foreign Office
immediately intervenes for his protection. Alaa entered day 118 of his hunger strike in protest of the horrific
conditions of his imprisonment. His family have heard nothing from him since the 16th of July and fear his
health is rapidly and significantly deteriorating.

The global campaign for Alaa’s release reached a fever pitch over the last months with 10 MPs and 17
members of the House of Lords urging Secretary of State Elizabeth Truss to act immediately to secure the
activist’s release. Regrettably, diplomatic efforts were sidelined with the resignation of Boris Johnson and
Truss’ announcement of her candidacy. Truss' decision to seek the UK's highest elected office demands
that she take action to uphold the UK's values of human rights. Egyptian authorities have taken advantage
of this leadership vacuum to refuse Alaa’s family pleas for communication with them, his lawyers and UK
consular services.

When the UK granted Alaa citizenship in April 2022, it took responsibility for upholding his rights. The life
and fate of Alaa Abd El-Fattah is at stake, and the UK Foreign Office must act now to save his life.

#SaveAlaa is urgently calling on the UK Foreign Office to secure Alaa’s release and safe transfer to the
UK as well as the following:
● Issue a public statement calling for the immediate release of Alaa
● Demand the Egyptian authorities fulfill their international obligations and provide ‘proof of life’ from
Alaa so that we know he is still alive and in good health
● Ensure Alaa receives regular consular visits and unhindered access to his lawyers in the UK
● Raise Alaa’s case through bi-lateral diplomatic channels with the Egyptian government and demand
his immediate release.

Alaa has been jailed or charged under every Egyptian government in his lifetime, spending more than 3,000
days behind bars since 2011. He has been unjustly sentenced on unsubstantiated charges which include
“spreading false news”, “undermining national security“, “using social media to commit a publishing offence“,
and “belonging to a terrorist group”, and has been arbitrarily detained since 2019.

Contact:
Mohamad Najem,
Executive Director, Social Media Exchange (SMEX)
+961 71 190 310, Mohammad@SMEX.org

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