Responding to the news that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has issued a pardon for Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, Kerry Moscogiuri, Director of Campaigns at Amnesty International, said:

“We are thrilled and relieved to hear reports that Alaa Abdel Fattah has finally been pardoned after eleven years of wrongful imprisonment, but we won't be able to celebrate until he is safely back in the UK with his family.

“Alaa should never have endured this nightmare in the first place. Alaa and his family – particularly his mother Laila, who has repeatedly put her life at risk by going on hunger strike - have endured unimaginable pain by his groundless imprisonment.

“Amnesty calls on the Prime Minister to urgently push for Alaa’s complete freedom and safe travel to the UK. This an opportunity to begin a new chapter in which the UK government works more strategically and consistently on behalf of UK nationals arbitrarily held overseas.”