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November 5, 2024 – UK/Egypt –
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)—joined by 14 British, Egyptian, and international organizations—issued a forceful appeal to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The groups urged the UK to suspend all new economic, financial, and security cooperation with Egypt until British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah is released from detention.
Abd el-Fattah, a prominent voice since the Arab Spring, was first arrested in 2014 and again in September 2019 amid anti-government protests. Convicted under charges of “spreading false news,” he received a five-year sentence in December 2021. Although his sentence officially ended on September 29, 2024, Egyptian authorities extended his detention—choosing not to credit his two-year pre-trial detention time—effectively postponing his release until January 2027.
The organizations argue that Britain’s substantial economic engagement—amounting to £4.5 billion in annual trade—provides diplomatic leverage. They urge suspension of any new investment deals, defence agreements, trade talks, or official visits as a clear signal that human rights will guide UK policy.
The campaign also highlights the suffering of Abd el-Fattah’s mother, Laila Soueif, a British national who began a hunger strike on September 30, 2024, outside Downing Street. Her protest, continuing for over 270 days, escalated into a critical health crisis—hospitalized with dangerously low blood sugar—underscoring the personal human toll.
UK officials have expressed concern and repeatedly raised the issue—Lammy described it as the “number one issue,” and reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer personally spoke with Egyptian President Sisi. But pressure remains, with over 100 UK MPs calling for decisive action, including sanctions, travel advisories, or legal measures such as taking the case to the International Court of Justice.
This coalition stresses that unless Egypt releases Abd el-Fattah—and acknowledges his British citizenship and legal rights—UK economic cooperation should be on pause. Resuming financial ties without human rights benchmarks, they assert, would signal complicity in arbitrary detention and disrespect for the rule of law. Their united message: justice must come before commerce.
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