Egypt: Prisoner of conscience Alaa Abdel Fattah granted presidential pardon after six years of unjust imprisonment
Responding to the news that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has issued a pardon for Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, along with five other prisoners, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, Erika Guevara Rosas said:
“Today’s presidential pardon for Alaa Abdel Fattah and the prospect of him finally being reunited with his family are a welcome, but long overdue, relief.
“His pardon ends a grave injustice and is a testament to the tireless efforts of his family and lawyers, including his courageous mother, Laila Soueif, and activists all over the world who have been relentlessly demanding his release over the past six years. We hope that his release will take place soon.
His pardon ends a grave injustice and is a testament to the tireless efforts of his family and lawyers, including his courageous mother, Laila Soueif, and activists all over the world who have been relentlessly demanding his release over the past six years
Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International
“Alaa Abdel Fattah is a prisoner of conscience who was targeted for his peaceful activism. His pardon will not erase the ordeal he has endured in detention over the past six years. The Egyptian authorities should follow up on today’s decision by releasing all those solely detained for exercising their human rights and allowing them to reunite with their loved ones.”
Background:
Alaa Abdel Fattah is an Egyptian-British activist, writer, and software developer. He rose to prominence during the 2011 Egyptian revolution and has been repeatedly targeted by Egyptian authorities for his peaceful activism and criticism of the government.
His most recent arrest was on 29 September 2019, amidst a widespread crackdown on protests. In December 2021, he was sentenced to five years in prison by an Emergency State Security Court on spurious charges of “spreading false news,” related to a social media post. Amnesty International and numerous other human rights organizations have consistently declared him a prisoner of conscience, whose detention is solely linked to his exercise of human rights.
Despite his five-year sentence effectively ending on 29 September 2024 , Egyptian authorities continued to arbitrarily detain him, stating his release date would be in January 2027, violating both international legal norms and Egypt’s own domestic law. During his imprisonment, he faced inhumane conditions, including denial of access to lawyers, consular visits, fresh air, and sunlight. His family has reported serious concerns about his health, particularly at times when he engaged in a prolonged hunger strike to protest his detention.
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China: Journalist Zhang Zhan sentenced to prison again on baseless charges
Responding to reports that Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan has been convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and sentenced to four years in prison, Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks said:
“This second conviction for Zhang Zhan is a betrayal of China’s stated priority of upholding the rule of law. Like lawyer Yu Wensheng and so many others, Zhang’s commitment to defending human rights and her consistent refusal to keep silent – even after a prison sentence that put her health and life at risk – have made her a target.
“Until the Chinese authorities are pressured to change vague and overly broad laws and held accountable for systematically depriving human rights defenders of their liberty, the future for human rights in the country remains grim.
“Zhang’s baseless conviction should be quashed, and she should be immediately released. Pending release, she must be provided with access to counsel, her family and adequate healthcare.
“Chinese authorities must end their decades-long misuse of the criminal charge of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’. And the international community, including China’s bilateral partners, must make it a priority to not merely call for the release of Zhang and others unjustly detained, but actively use its leverage to ensure they will be freed.”
Background
Chinese journalist and activist Zhang Zhan was reportedly convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and sentenced to four years in jail following her trial on Friday 19 September at the Pudong New District People’s Procuratorate.
Prior reports indicated that Zhang has gone on hunger strike while in detention and has shown signs of having been forcibly fed. Her family and lawyer have been subjected to harassment and intimidation by authorities and are unable to share detailed updates about her situation. As a result, very little is known about her current health condition and other aspects of her case.
Zhang Zhan was previously jailed on the same charge for reporting on the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in Wuhan. A former lawyer, she travelled to Wuhan in February 2020 to provide on-the-ground information about what was happening there. She posted on social media about how government officials had detained independent reporters and harassed families of Covid-19 patients.
She went missing in Wuhan in May 2020. It later emerged that she had been taken by the Chinese authorities and detained in Shanghai, where she was convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” after a sham trial. Zhang Zhan was released on 13 May 2024 after completing a four-year prison sentence.
However, she was subjected to strict surveillance and continuous harassment by the authorities after her release, and she was detained again less than four months later. Her arrest came shortly after she reportedly travelled to the northwestern province of Gansu to show solidarity with other human rights defenders.
During her previous imprisonment, she went on a hunger strike that led to multiple hospitalizations and her weight dropped drastically to just 37 kilograms — half of what she weighed prior to her deprivation of liberty.
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