Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah's travel plans were derailed when he was denied boarding at Cairo airport earlier this week. The British-Egyptian writer and human rights campaigner had been scheduled to attend a conference in London, including the prestigious Magnitsky human rights awards.
Abd el-Fattah's sister Sanaa Seif revealed that her brother was stopped by Egyptian passport control on Tuesday morning as he attempted to fly to the UK with her. The reasons behind this decision are unclear, leaving his family and authorities to negotiate the details of his travel status.
The activist had been released from prison in September after serving over 10 years behind bars for "spreading fake news" on social media. His journey back to freedom has come with one major obstacle: determining whether he is allowed to travel freely between Egypt and the UK, including reuniting with his son Khaled in Brighton.
Abd el-Fattah's pardon from Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi sparked mixed emotions for his family. The activist had been granted a rare chance at freedom after conducting 287 days of hunger strikes to secure the release of his sister, Sanaa Seif, and advocate for human rights.
The family's struggles with the authorities come as no surprise, given Abd el-Fattah's long history of activism against the Egyptian government. His experiences have been documented in various media outlets, including The Guardian and Egyptian dissident press. As he navigates his newfound freedom, it remains to be seen how the UK will receive him, particularly considering his complicated past.
On a more personal note, Abd el-Fattah's relationship with his son Khaled is a poignant reminder of the human cost of activism. The 13-year-old boy has been living with their mother in Brighton, attending a special educational needs school, while Abd el-Fattah was imprisoned. His release and potential return to the UK have left the family eagerly awaiting news of their future together.
Abd el-Fattah's sister Sanaa Seif revealed that her brother was stopped by Egyptian passport control on Tuesday morning as he attempted to fly to the UK with her. The reasons behind this decision are unclear, leaving his family and authorities to negotiate the details of his travel status.
The activist had been released from prison in September after serving over 10 years behind bars for "spreading fake news" on social media. His journey back to freedom has come with one major obstacle: determining whether he is allowed to travel freely between Egypt and the UK, including reuniting with his son Khaled in Brighton.
Abd el-Fattah's pardon from Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi sparked mixed emotions for his family. The activist had been granted a rare chance at freedom after conducting 287 days of hunger strikes to secure the release of his sister, Sanaa Seif, and advocate for human rights.
The family's struggles with the authorities come as no surprise, given Abd el-Fattah's long history of activism against the Egyptian government. His experiences have been documented in various media outlets, including The Guardian and Egyptian dissident press. As he navigates his newfound freedom, it remains to be seen how the UK will receive him, particularly considering his complicated past.
On a more personal note, Abd el-Fattah's relationship with his son Khaled is a poignant reminder of the human cost of activism. The 13-year-old boy has been living with their mother in Brighton, attending a special educational needs school, while Abd el-Fattah was imprisoned. His release and potential return to the UK have left the family eagerly awaiting news of their future together.
, 10 yrs behind bars is way too long, dont even wanna think about how that feels for him or his family. it's amazing he made it thru those hunger strikes but now im sure he's facing even more uncertainty with this travel ban... poor khaled too, missing out on so much of his dad's life already 
hope the uk will give alaa a fair chance to start anew & be with his son again 
ugh I'm literally shaking thinking about Alaa's situation 
he just got his freedom after 10 yrs in prison & now they're denying him a flight to London 
it's like, what even is the deal with that?! 
i feel so bad for his family, especially his son Khaled 
he's only 13 yrs old & has been living without his dad for so long 
i mean, can't they just let him travel freely to see his dad? 
and now he's being punished again 
this whole situation is just heartbreaking 
who's been growin up without his dad for years... 10 yrs behind bars? 
that's just insane, man! And now this whole travel thing is all up in the air 
. I mean, I get it, they gotta sort out some stuff with the authorities, but can't he just have a lil freedom 
? His sister Sanaa Seif went through so much too, 287 days of hunger strikes... fam's been through hell 
, 'specially now that he's free 
. Can't wait to see what happens next 
You'd think after 10 years in prison, they'd be more welcoming to him than not. I mean, the guy was doing hunger strikes for days to secure his sister's release and now he can't even fly to London? 
. And poor Khaled, waiting for his dad to come back... that must be so hard on a kid who's already had to grow up without his father 
this is just so frustrating for Alaa's fam 
. And now, this? 
Denying him boarding at Cairo airport like that? It's like they're not even trying to make things easier for him 
. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next 
. That little guy's been through so much too, being apart from his dad for all that time 