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Free Alaa
My brother (Alaa Abd el Fattah, the British-Egyptian political prisoner who has spent more than 10 years behind bars in Egypt for his work as a pro-democracy activist) finished his second five-year sentence in an Egyptian prison last September. A few days before the last day of his sentence, my mother had the sense that they didn’t plan to release him because there were none of the usual procedures that would be happening in the final days of someone serving their full sentence. And so she decided that if the 29th of September came and he was not released, or was not in the process of getting released, she was going to stop eating, that she would be on an open-ended hunger strike for as long as he remained detained beyond his five year sentence, which is where we are in right now, more than eight months later. It seems so drastic of her to take that position, but I think it was the only thing she felt was strong enough, as strong as the level of injustice that Ali is facing.
There is international support for her journey, which has been quite moving. If it weren’t for this enormous wave of solidarity erupting everywhere, not just here in the UK, not just in Egypt, where people know Ali, but everywhere—mothers in Syria, activists in Berlin, Denmark, and Lebanon—I don’t think she would have been able to make it to this wondrous and miraculous state where she is sustaining the hunger strike despite her age. She’s building a connection with mothers all over the world which is giving her the strength to continue and go beyond what is expected on a medical level. So she and we rely on this support, this international wave of solidarity, to take us to the final conclusion of this very long journey of 11 years of incarceration, of Egyptian prisons having a complete hold on our lives and the future of our kids. She is relying on this wave of support to get Ali out of prison and get him reunited with his son, Khaled, who lives in Brighton.
There is no legal basis for what the Egyptian regime is doing with Aliyah right now. Even the Egyptian domestic laws do not allow someone to be detained beyond the end of their sentence.
The problem with Egypt is that there is no longer any judicial entity that is independent enough to challenge decisions made by the State Security or, in our case, the president. It seems that the presidential office is the one handling our case directly. Ali has been detained and tortured and deprived of so many rights, moved between prisons, and tried before an emergency court. Because he was tried in an emergency court, there is no way to appeal; the sentence went to the president directly. There are many layers of injustice he has gone through every step of the way. We tried to challenge them, but there was not a single judicial institution that was willing to look at our legal complaint. They forced us to go through a trial without allowing Ali’s defense team to have a copy of the case file. During every court appearance, Ali insisted that they couldn’t proceed without his lawyers having a copy of the case file to understand what he was facing. The judge decided to adjourn for sentencing without the prosecution presenting their statement and their case, and without the defense presenting their defense. It was a sham of a trial.
The UN Group on Arbitrary Detention, after a thorough investigation of everything they could access relating to Ali’s case, issued a statement a couple of weeks ago unanimously stating that he is in arbitrary detention and should be released right now. But the Egyptian regime, since Abdel Fattah el-Sisi seized power, is negligent about anything to do with justice. What’s legal? Human rights? All background noise that they can simply squash if it doesn’t serve them. The international community is doing an amazing job… supporters, NGOs, lawyers, journalists, everyone, except the governments. We believe that it’s only with this solidarity movement that Ali is going to be freed. Maybe this will pave the way for others like him in Egypt, whether they be political prisoners in Egyptian prisons, British nationals detained abroad, or basically anyone anywhere in the world targeted for speaking their mind and for choosing to be vocal about human rights issues and violations committed by states.
We need to put pressure on governments, particularly governments that are strengthening the hold that the Egyptian regime has on the country and its people. These governments have turned a blind eye to all the atrocities this regime commits against its own people. We must continue pushing the UK Government, because at the end of the day, they are responsible for the wellbeing of my brother and every British citizen. The Egyptian Government and the British Government are allies. They have joint investments. They have joint projects. They communicate on global and regional issues all the time. In theory, it shouldn’t be that hard to ask an ally or to make sure an ally says release one of your nationals, particularly when they have fully served their sentences.
My mother, somehow, miraculously, is hanging in there. Every time she receives a bit of news or sees a clip of someone somewhere standing in solidarity with her, it gives her another push and another morale boost to continue. I hope our UK officials are capable of acting fast with the promptness that is worthy of the level of suffering and sacrifice she and my brother have endured.
Find out more at FreeAlaa.net
In Conversation:
Illustration by:
{
"article":
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"title" : "Free Alaa",
"author" : "Mona Seif",
"category" : "essays",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/free-alaa-by-mona-seif",
"date" : "2025-07-20 17:35:46 -0400",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/19maylailadowningstreet.jpg",
"excerpt" : "",
"content" : "My brother (Alaa Abd el Fattah, the British-Egyptian political prisoner who has spent more than 10 years behind bars in Egypt for his work as a pro-democracy activist) finished his second five-year sentence in an Egyptian prison last September. A few days before the last day of his sentence, my mother had the sense that they didn’t plan to release him because there were none of the usual procedures that would be happening in the final days of someone serving their full sentence. And so she decided that if the 29th of September came and he was not released, or was not in the process of getting released, she was going to stop eating, that she would be on an open-ended hunger strike for as long as he remained detained beyond his five year sentence, which is where we are in right now, more than eight months later. It seems so drastic of her to take that position, but I think it was the only thing she felt was strong enough, as strong as the level of injustice that Ali is facing.There is international support for her journey, which has been quite moving. If it weren’t for this enormous wave of solidarity erupting everywhere, not just here in the UK, not just in Egypt, where people know Ali, but everywhere—mothers in Syria, activists in Berlin, Denmark, and Lebanon—I don’t think she would have been able to make it to this wondrous and miraculous state where she is sustaining the hunger strike despite her age. She’s building a connection with mothers all over the world which is giving her the strength to continue and go beyond what is expected on a medical level. So she and we rely on this support, this international wave of solidarity, to take us to the final conclusion of this very long journey of 11 years of incarceration, of Egyptian prisons having a complete hold on our lives and the future of our kids. She is relying on this wave of support to get Ali out of prison and get him reunited with his son, Khaled, who lives in Brighton. There is no legal basis for what the Egyptian regime is doing with Aliyah right now. Even the Egyptian domestic laws do not allow someone to be detained beyond the end of their sentence.The problem with Egypt is that there is no longer any judicial entity that is independent enough to challenge decisions made by the State Security or, in our case, the president. It seems that the presidential office is the one handling our case directly. Ali has been detained and tortured and deprived of so many rights, moved between prisons, and tried before an emergency court. Because he was tried in an emergency court, there is no way to appeal; the sentence went to the president directly. There are many layers of injustice he has gone through every step of the way. We tried to challenge them, but there was not a single judicial institution that was willing to look at our legal complaint. They forced us to go through a trial without allowing Ali’s defense team to have a copy of the case file. During every court appearance, Ali insisted that they couldn’t proceed without his lawyers having a copy of the case file to understand what he was facing. The judge decided to adjourn for sentencing without the prosecution presenting their statement and their case, and without the defense presenting their defense. It was a sham of a trial.The UN Group on Arbitrary Detention, after a thorough investigation of everything they could access relating to Ali’s case, issued a statement a couple of weeks ago unanimously stating that he is in arbitrary detention and should be released right now. But the Egyptian regime, since Abdel Fattah el-Sisi seized power, is negligent about anything to do with justice. What’s legal? Human rights? All background noise that they can simply squash if it doesn’t serve them. The international community is doing an amazing job… supporters, NGOs, lawyers, journalists, everyone, except the governments. We believe that it’s only with this solidarity movement that Ali is going to be freed. Maybe this will pave the way for others like him in Egypt, whether they be political prisoners in Egyptian prisons, British nationals detained abroad, or basically anyone anywhere in the world targeted for speaking their mind and for choosing to be vocal about human rights issues and violations committed by states.We need to put pressure on governments, particularly governments that are strengthening the hold that the Egyptian regime has on the country and its people. These governments have turned a blind eye to all the atrocities this regime commits against its own people. We must continue pushing the UK Government, because at the end of the day, they are responsible for the wellbeing of my brother and every British citizen. The Egyptian Government and the British Government are allies. They have joint investments. They have joint projects. They communicate on global and regional issues all the time. In theory, it shouldn’t be that hard to ask an ally or to make sure an ally says release one of your nationals, particularly when they have fully served their sentences.My mother, somehow, miraculously, is hanging in there. Every time she receives a bit of news or sees a clip of someone somewhere standing in solidarity with her, it gives her another push and another morale boost to continue. I hope our UK officials are capable of acting fast with the promptness that is worthy of the level of suffering and sacrifice she and my brother have endured.Find out more at FreeAlaa.net"
}
,
"relatedposts": [
{
"title" : "100+ Years of Genocidal Intent in Palestine",
"author" : "Collis Browne",
"category" : "essays",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/100-years-of-genocidal-intent",
"date" : "2025-10-07 18:01:00 -0400",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/1920-jerusalem.jpg",
"excerpt" : "Every single Israeli prime minister, president, and major Zionist leader has voiced clear intent to erase the Palestinian people from their lands, either by forced expulsion, or military violence. From Herzl and Chaim Weizmann to Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu, the record is not ambiguous:",
"content" : "Every single Israeli prime minister, president, and major Zionist leader has voiced clear intent to erase the Palestinian people from their lands, either by forced expulsion, or military violence. From Herzl and Chaim Weizmann to Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu, the record is not ambiguous:{% for person in site.data.genocidalquotes %}{{ person.name }}{% if person.title %}<p class=\"title-xs\">{{ person.title }}</p>{% endif %}{% for quote in person.quotes %}“{{ quote.text }}”{% if quote.source %}— {{ quote.source }}{% endif %}{% endfor %}{% endfor %}"
}
,
{
"title" : "Dignity Before Stadiums:: Morocco’s Digital Uprising",
"author" : "Cheb Gado",
"category" : "",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/dignity-before-stadiums",
"date" : "2025-10-02 09:08:00 -0400",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/EIP_Cover_Morocco_GenZ.jpg",
"excerpt" : "No one expected a generation raised on smartphones and TikTok clips to ignite a spark of protest shaking Morocco’s streets. But Gen Z, the children of the internet and speed, have stepped forward to write a new chapter in the history of uprisings, in their own style.The wave of anger began with everyday struggles that cut deep into young people’s lives: soaring prices, lack of social justice, and the silencing of their voices in politics. They didn’t need traditional leaders or party manifestos; the movement was born out of a single hashtag that spread like wildfire, transforming individual frustration into collective momentum.",
"content" : "No one expected a generation raised on smartphones and TikTok clips to ignite a spark of protest shaking Morocco’s streets. But Gen Z, the children of the internet and speed, have stepped forward to write a new chapter in the history of uprisings, in their own style.The wave of anger began with everyday struggles that cut deep into young people’s lives: soaring prices, lack of social justice, and the silencing of their voices in politics. They didn’t need traditional leaders or party manifestos; the movement was born out of a single hashtag that spread like wildfire, transforming individual frustration into collective momentum.One of the sharpest contradictions fueling the protests was the billions poured into World Cup-related preparations, while ordinary citizens remained marginalized when it came to healthcare and education.This awareness quickly turned into chants and slogans echoing through the streets: “Dignity begins with schools and hospitals, not with putting on a show for the world.”What set this movement apart was not only its presence on the streets, but also the way it reinvented protest itself:Live filming: Phone cameras revealed events moment by moment, exposing abuses instantly.Memes and satire: A powerful weapon to dismantle authority’s aura, turning complex political discourse into viral, shareable content.Decentralized networks: No leader, no party, just small, fast-moving groups connected online, able to appear and disappear with agility.This generation doesn’t believe in grand speeches or delayed promises. They demand change here and now. Moving seamlessly between the physical and digital realms, they turn the street into a stage of revolt, and Instagram Live into an alternative media outlet.What’s happening in Morocco strongly recalls the Arab Spring of 2011, when young people flooded the streets with the same passion and spontaneity, armed only with belief in their power to spark change. But Gen Z added their own twist, digital tools, meme culture, and the pace of a hyper-connected world.Morocco’s Gen Z uprising is not just another protest, but a living experiment in how a digital generation can redefine politics itself. The spark may fade, but the mark it leaves on young people’s collective consciousness cannot be erased.Photo credits: Mosa’ab Elshamy, Zacaria Garcia, Abdel Majid Bizouat, Marouane Beslem"
}
,
{
"title" : "A Shutdown Exposes How Fragile U.S. Governance Really Is",
"author" : "EIP Editors",
"category" : "",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/a-shutdown-exposes-how-fragile-us-governance-really-is",
"date" : "2025-10-01 22:13:00 -0400",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/EIP_Cover_Gov_ShutDown.jpg",
"excerpt" : "Each time the federal government shutters its doors, we hear the same reassurances: essential services will continue, Social Security checks will still arrive, planes won’t fall from the sky. This isn’t the first Governmental shutdown, they’ve happened 22 times since 1976, and their toll is real.",
"content" : "Each time the federal government shutters its doors, we hear the same reassurances: essential services will continue, Social Security checks will still arrive, planes won’t fall from the sky. This isn’t the first Governmental shutdown, they’ve happened 22 times since 1976, and their toll is real.Shutdowns don’t mean the government stops functioning. They mean millions of federal workers are asked to keep the system running without pay. Air traffic controllers, border patrol agents, food inspectors — people whose jobs underpin both public safety and economic life — are told their labor matters, but their livelihoods don’t. People have to pay the price of bad bureaucracy in the world’s most powerful country, if governance is stalled, workers must pay with their salaries and their groceries.In 1995 and 1996, clashes between President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich triggered two shutdowns totaling 27 days. In 2013, a 16-day standoff over the Affordable Care Act furloughed 850,000 workers. And in 2018–2019, the longest shutdown in U.S. history stretched 35 days, as President Trump refused to reopen the government without funding for a border wall. That impasse left 800,000 federal employees without paychecks and cost the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion — $3 billion of it permanently lost.More troubling is what happens when crises strike during shutdowns. The United States is living in an age of accelerating climate disasters: historic floods in Vermont, wildfire smoke choking New York, hurricanes pounding Florida. These emergencies do not pause while Congress fights over budgets. Yet a shutdown means furloughed NOAA meteorologists, suspended EPA enforcement, and delayed FEMA programs. In the most climate-vulnerable decade of our lifetimes, we are choosing paralysis over preparedness.This vulnerability didn’t emerge overnight. For decades, the American state has been hollowed out under the logic of austerity and privatization, while military spending has remained sacrosanct. That imbalance is why budgets collapse under the weight of endless resources for war abroad, too few for resilience at home.Shutdowns send a dangerous message. They normalize instability. They tell workers they are disposable. They make clear that in our system, climate resilience and public health aren’t pillars of our democracy but rather insignificant in the face of power and greed. And each time the government closes, it becomes easier to imagine a future where this isn’t the exception but the rule.The United States cannot afford to keep running on shutdown politics. The climate crisis, economic inequality, and the challenges of sustaining democracy itself demand continuity, not collapse. We need a politics that treats stability and resilience not as partisan victories, but as basic commitments to one another. Otherwise, the real shutdown isn’t just of the government — it’s of democracy itself."
}
]
}
