Freed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah barred from flying to the UK

British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, recently pardoned and released from prison, was reportedly stopped at Egyptian passport control while attempting to travel to the UK, according to his family. Abd el-Fattah, a prominent figure in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, had been imprisoned for nearly a decade following President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s military coup in 2013. He was pardoned on September 22 and released from Wadi al-Natrun prison. Abd el-Fattah was scheduled to fly to the UK with his sister, Sanaa Seif, to attend the Magnitsky Human Rights Awards in London, where he and his mother, Laila Soueif, were honored with the Courage Under Fire award for their relentless fight for his freedom. Seif accepted the award on their behalf, expressing her wish for Abd el-Fattah to reunite with his 13-year-old son, Khaled, who lives in Brighton, UK. The Free Alaa campaign noted that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had pledged to secure Abd el-Fattah’s release and reunite him with his family. Despite his release, Abd el-Fattah’s travel plans remain uncertain as he faces obstacles at Egyptian passport control.