Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a Voice Shut behind the Walls
Alaa, a voice not allowed to be heard, words not allowed to be written, a symbol of resistance against Egypt’s long history of authoritarian government rule.
The sad reality for almost every Egyptian is that speaking up against the regime costs a lot. You may pay with your whole life being thrown away behind maximum security bars and it might not only be you, it could be your whole family paying that price too.
Alaa’s story is one of many who’s been wrongfully detained by the regime.
Over the past 10 years, the majority of Alaa’s life has consistent of either imprisonment or being on probation. Still, he continued to use his voice even if it's surrounded by the echo of prison walls, he wrote essays, columns and letters – his work has been now collected in ‘You Have Not Yet Been Defeated.’
Alaa, 40, an author, software developer and political activist was raised in a family of activists, his father, Ahmed Seif, was a human rights attorney who faced torture and imprisonment for five years in 1983 by the State Security Investigations Service. His mother is Leila Soueif, a professor of mathematics and prominent political activist.
Alaa’s sisters, Mona and Sanaa Seif follow the family’s revolutionary stances, both are political activists. Mona is a founding member of ‘No Military Trials for Civilians,’ Sanaa is a film editor who has co-founded the newspaper called ‘Gornal.’
(Photos provided by family.)
(Photos provided by family.)
Alaa upon release, meeting his son Khaled for the first time.
Alaa upon release, meeting his son Khaled for the first time.
Alaa's sisters, Mona and Sanaa at the FCDO offices.
Alaa's sisters, Mona and Sanaa at the FCDO offices.
Alaa’s History of Incarceration
The hashtag #FreeAlaa was first used by activists demanding Alaa’s release in May 2006 after being arrested during a protest calling for independent judiciary. His arrest sparked solidarity protests along with the creation of #FreeAlaa blog and campaign.
It’s the year 2022 and #FreeAlaa is a hashtag still being used to protest for Alaa’s freedom.
His family has stated many times that every Egyptian regime since Mubarak’s has wanted to set Alaa as an example and silence him.
According to local Egyptian newspapers, during the 2011 revolution, Alaa’s presence was unforgettable. During the early protests of January Alaa was not in the country so when the government shut down the internet, Alaa was on a mission to collect information from family and friends and publish it to the world.
Alaa later returned to Egypt on February to join the protest in Tahrir Square until Hosni Mubarak stepped down from presidency.
On October 30, Alaa was arrested once again on fabricated charges of violence against the military soldiers, damaging and stealing military property during the October 9 Maspero demonstrations.
The Maspero Massacre was one of the most bloody and violent protests after the revolution which left hundreds of people injured and 27 died due to the military’s attack against the people.
Alaa fabricated charges could have been well punished by death in court. He was held for 15 days with a period of renewing.
Soueif, Alaa’s mother, demonstrated her support by going on a hunger strike to object the court-martialling of civilians on November 6.
Alaa’s father, Ahmed Seif, the human rights attorney displayed to the military in Alaa’s first hearing, court video tapes that showcased the military armoured carriers running over protesters.
Ahmed Seif accused the head of military police of being completely responsible for the violence that happened on the October 9 Maspero Massacre. He also accused the Supreme Council of Armed forces of obstruction of justice due to implementing a nigh curfew on the day of the attacks in order to “hide evidence” of the army’s crimes.
The reactions of Alaa’s October 2011 arrest were explosive, to many Egyptians it was considered a “slap in the face” after a “successful” revolution. Alaa stated in his letters to other Egyptian activists while incarcerated that the revolution has been “hijacked.”
Alaa stated, “I Never expected to repeat the experience of five years ago. After a revolution that deposed the tyrant, I go back to his jails?”
Thousands of Egyptians reacted to his arrest by protesting in Cairo and Alexandria demanding his release along with others arrested. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called for his release along with others who used their freedom of speech against the court. Amnesty International condemned Alaa’s imprisonment and accused SCAF of being responsible for the Maspero violence.
Due to the pressure, the military allowed Alaa’s case to be passed to a civilian court. The court dropped two charges on December 13, the court however, renewed his 15 days detention and maintained the charges of shooting at soldiers and stealing weapons.
During the time of Alaa’s custody, his wife, Manal El-Din Hassan gave birth to their son, Khaled. A profound moment that Alaa was unable to be present in.
December 25, a judge representing the public prosecution gave the order of Alaa’s release. Alaa was under a travel ban since then.
November 2013, Alaa is arrested again for being accused of inciting a demonstration against the new constitution.
It was November 26, the internationally respected activist group ‘No to Military Trials for Civilians,’ gathered for a demonstration in front of the Shoura Council (Egyptian parliament) to protest the failure of the current draft constitution to legislate against the military court martialling of civilians.
The peaceful protest was met with force by the police who attacked demonstrators with tear gas and water cannons while arresting many demonstrators. According to the NMTC group lawyer, Osama El Mahdy, 24 demonstrators never made it out of custody.
“Over 20 policemen, some wearing regular clothes, some police and some wearing military raided our house late night. The way they stormed in you would think they’re arresting a well-known criminal and drug dealer,” Manal Bahey, Alaa’s wife stated.
The police stormed in with no arrest warrant and when asked to see one Alaa and his wife were physically assaulted.
“We couldn’t see their faces. I remember they stormed in and forcefully laid Alaa on the floor, handcuffing him, he didn’t resist them. I don’t remember being able to see anything happening to Alaa as I had to run to see my son Khaled,” she said.
Manal would later find Alaa’s blood on their apartment floor due to policemen hitting him with an object to his head.
“I was unable to see or even find where he is until two days later due to Alaa requesting his lawyers present during the interrogation, a request that really pissed the interrogators off” Manal said.
During the entirety of Alaa’s custody, he was thrown in a dark cell on the floor tied up with his injuries left to bleed.
While Alaa was behind cell bars in 2014, his father Ahmed Seif passed away – Alaa was unable to see his father one more time to say goodbye. He speaks about the grief of losing his father in his book.
Alaa was later sentenced to five years in prison on February 23, 2015 and released on March 29, 2019.
Required upon his release in March 2019 was to follow a daily police probation of 12 hours every night in the Dokki, Cairo police station for a period of five years.
During the 2019 September protests against Sisi’s regime, a protest that Alaa did not partake in, Alaa’s family announced that he was kidnapped in front of Dokki’s police station on the morning of September 29.
Mona Seif later declared that Alaa was arrested by the State Security Prosecution, no one was able to find out what Alaa’s charges were.
During that time, Alaa faced brutal and horrifying torture in Egypt’s highest maximum-security prison, Tora in Cairo.
In December 2021, Alaa finally received a final sentence, he was handed five years without trial on charges of “spreading false news undermining national security.” The time he served in pre-trial detention before that does not count towards it.
#FreeAlaa campaign poster.
#FreeAlaa campaign poster.
Alaa in Tahrir Square, Cairo in February 2011.
Alaa in Tahrir Square, Cairo in February 2011.
Last photo taken of Alaa by his sister Sanaa in court.
Last photo taken of Alaa by his sister Sanaa in court.
Alaa's blood on his apartment floor, November 2013. (Photo provided by Manal Bahey)
Alaa's blood on his apartment floor, November 2013. (Photo provided by Manal Bahey)
Today, Egypt is at its most politically repressed time, freedom of speech is an act of crime and no longer protected. It’s not just the repression of journalists, activists and human rights lawyers, it has become dangerous for every Egyptian citizen to exercise their freedom of speech – even if you live overseas. If you express concerns against Sisi’s regime on Facebook, Twitter or even TikTok, you could be in serious trouble.
It has become alarmingly common for citizens expressing their views to be kidnapped by the forces, disappeared, families unable to know anything about them. Today, the easiest form of silence by the government is to drag you to prisons with fabricated charges against you with no trial.
Sisi’s government widespread crackdown against echoing voices like Alaa not only steals the life of people like Alaa but their families too.
Moments like the birth of his first son and the death of his father are moments forever stolen from him and his family.
'The resistence against the regime continues'
Today, his family has done nothing but dedicate their voices and life working towards freeing Alaa from his wrongful imprisonment and torture in Tora prison. Alaa’s resistance has been demonstrated through his open-ended hunger strike that he begun on April 2, 2022 to protest against his solitary confinement and cruel conditions.
Alaa has been on a hunger strike for more than 165 days now in Egypt’s worst prisons. He had received no medical attention despite his family’s urge and concern over Alaa’s “fragile” and “dangerously weak” health condition.
According to his mother and sisters, Laila, Mona and Sanaa, for over two and a half years, Alaa has been kept in a cell with no access to books, newspapers or even sunlight and a mattress to sleep on. He is not allowed to have a radio, watch or have exercise time outside his cell.
“His visits are limited to one family member per month, for 20 minutes only through a glass barrier with absolutely no minute of privacy or physical contact,” Mona said.
There have been many times during the past year we’re Alaa was denied a family visit or even writing a letter to them. Mona and Sana expressed on twitter the fear of Alaa being dead or critically sick and he’s being hidden away by the authorities.
As part of the family’s strives to get Alaa his freedom, they were successful in the process of granting Alaa a British citizenship through Laila, his British born mother.
Mona and Sanaa have been since organising demonstrations and campaigns in the UK requesting the former Foreign Secretary and current Prime Minister Liz Truss to help facilitate the release of Alaa as a British-Egyptian citizen.
Sanaa Urged Liz Truss to publicly demand Alaa to be saved from death by his release. The family has stated multiple times that the last visits to Alaa he has expressed that he thinks he won’t leave Egyptian prisons alive.
Liz Truss has told the family and has pledged publicly that the British authorities are working hard to secure Alaa’s release, stating that she will “bring up” his case to Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Sameh Hassan Shoukry on his UK visit.
Sanaa has stated that the campaign could be working slowly – but time is running out as Alaa’s physical and mental health continuous to deteriorate and more negotiations need to take place with the Egyptian government for Alaa’s release.
Alaa has been denied multiple times British consular visits by the Egyptian authorities.
“The Egyptian authorities are taking advantage of the fact that they can hide Alaa in a dark cell, preventing anyone except his family to see him once a month,” Mona said.
“the FCDO are clearly not doing enough to secure consular access, they are not acting with urgency and firmness his deteriorating health necessitates.”
“If the Egyptian regime think they can obscure Alaa’s hunger strike, and the British government is willing to tip-toe cautiously around the severity of the situation, then I, Alaa’s sister, will use my body to show the FDCO officials what’s happening to Alaa’s body, and to echo his hunger strike,” Mona stated.
Mona started her hunger strike when Alaa was on day 70 of his hunger strike. Mona joined the hunger strike on June 12 and stopped her strike after 25 days for unrevealed reasons. Still, the family continuous to echo their voices to support Alaa’s resistance.
Alaa’s family continues to spread Alaa’s voice and resistance against the regime. They have successfully created a petition and a video dedicated to Alaa and his son for father's day with celebrity guests such as Mark Ruffalo and Carey Mulligan with political thinkers around the world attempting to urge for an interference to save Alaa’s life.
The pressure needs to continue against Sisi’s government especially during this time as the government is attempting to use the country’s hosting of COP27 in November 2022 as an event to greenwash its reputation on human rights crimes and incarceration of political activists and journalists.
“The days are heavy, but we know there’s a real chance to save Alaa, even if he can no longer see it for himself. It needs political will and for the UK and all other countries that support Egypt to up the diplomatic pressure and stop turning a blind eye,” Alaa’s family stated.
"Every soul that was robbed of life by Sisi’s regime is mourned, remembered and fought for by every voice that is capable to do so. Exercising your right of freedom of speech, being a writer, lawyer or a journalist is not and should not be a crime in Egypt’s courts," a journalist in exile stated.
