British-Egyptian Activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah Arrives in UK after Travel Ban Lifted
Alaa Abd el-Fattah arrived in London on 26 December 2025 after Egypt lifted a travel ban that had barred him from leaving since his release from jail in September 2025.
He had been jailed for nearly 10 years, with a two-year extension because Egypt did not count pre-trial detention as time served.
An earlier attempt in November to leave Cairo for London was blocked, but a new agreement now allows travel between Cairo and London and prevents his permanent exclusion from Egypt if he visits the UK.
His arrival was announced by his mother, Laila Soueif, on Facebook, with his sister Mona Seif welcoming him.
His teenage son Khaled, who lives in Brighton and attends a special educational needs school, had visited Alaa in Cairo following his release.
During an extended eight-month hunger strike aimed at pressuring the UK to secure his release, his mother was hospitalised twice.
Political figures including Keir Starmer and national security adviser Jonathan Powell publicly urged Egypt to end his detention.
British consular visits to the jail had been blocked because Egypt did not recognize his dual citizenship.
Changes at the Egyptian embassy in London have been credited with producing a less inflexible stance.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah rose to prominence during the Arab Spring and is known for his direct, non-sectarian writing style. He was also previously sentenced to five years in a 2019 trial for spreading false news.
